Accident Overview
On 20 June 2014 at 1516 UTC, a Pierre Robin HR200/120B (registration G-MFLC) operated by a student pilot on a training flight at Leeds Bradford Airport suffered a runway excursion during its first solo takeoff. The aircraft collided with a runway 14 glideslope aerial, resulting in substantial damage to both the aircraft and the aerial. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured.
History of the Flight
The student pilot, aged 20 with 37 hours total flight experience (all on type), had completed five circuits with an instructor earlier that day, achieving a high standard. The instructor deemed the student ready for a first solo flight and briefed him on performance changes without the instructor's weight. The student conducted normal pre-flight checks and lined up on Runway 32 from Taxiway 'L'. The surface wind was 270° at 7 kt.
During the takeoff, the pilot initiated rotation at 60 kt. The aircraft immediately deviated to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right aileron, but the deviation persisted. Deciding to abandon the takeoff, he lowered the nose and reduced power. The aircraft landed hard and bounced multiple times, running onto the adjacent grass surface. It then struck the Runway 14 glidepath aerial. The pilot vacated the aircraft normally.
The instructor, who had flown with the student eight times in the previous 14 days, observed the takeoff. He noted that the aircraft appeared to over-rotate before landing heavily and bouncing.
Video Analysis
CCTV footage provided to the AAIB confirmed a rapid rotation to approximately 15° nose-up attitude, followed by a wing drop that was corrected. The aircraft's pitch then reduced sharply, causing it to descend back to the runway, bounce, and pitch up again to a similar attitude. After a second landing, it ran onto the grass. The footage indicated a pilot-induced oscillation in pitch, with a significant nose-down input followed by a further nose-up input as the aircraft landed heavily, becoming airborne again with an exaggerated attitude.