What happened
On 19 July 2016, a Miles M38 Messenger 4B, registration G-AKVZ, was preparing for a flight from Biggin Hill Airport in Kent to a private airstrip near Paddock Wood. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and two passengers.
At the time of the incident, the wind was reported at 140 degrees at 10 knots. Although the pilot had requested the use of Runway 11, this runway was closed, leaving Runway 21 as the active runway. The pilot, concerned that using Runway 21 would create an excessive right-hand crosswind component, chose to take off in the opposite direction on Runway 03. This decision resulted in the aircraft facing a right crosswind.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft initially proceeded without issue. However, as soon as the tailwheel left the ground, the aircraft entered a ground loop. In an attempt to maintain control, the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway. This caused both landing gear legs to collapse and the propeller to strike the ground, which subsequently stopped the engine. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers, though the underside of the fuselage, the propeller, and the landing gear sustained damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's decision-making regarding runway selection and the aircraft's handling characteristics. The pilot noted that the aircraft type possesses difficult handling qualities during crosswind takeoffs, particularly when the wind originates from the right. Additionally, the pilot identified that the rudders offer very little directional control until the airspeed reaches approximately 28 KIAS, and noted that the brakes were not performing with high efficiency.
Findings
- The pilot elected to use Runway 03 instead of the active Runway 21 because of a mistaken belief that Runway 21 would produce an unmanageable crosswind.
- The choice of Runway 03 intentionally introduced a right crosswind component.
- The aircraft's inherent difficulty in maintaining directional control at low speeds, combined with the crosswind, led to the ground loop.