Synopsis
During a training takeoff, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II (registration G-SVEA) veered left and struck trees adjacent to the runway. The aircraft then rotated through 180 degrees, exited the trees backwards, and came to rest on the A40 trunk road. Both crew members and the one passenger sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
History of the Flight
The flight was a training sortie with a student pilot conducting the takeoff. After completing pre-takeoff checks, 10 degrees of flap were set and full power was selected. The instructor released the brakes and the takeoff roll commenced on Runway 33. As the aircraft passed over the crest of a small hill approximately halfway along the grass strip, it began to veer to the left. The left side of the runway is located close to a line of trees bordering the A40 trunk road. The instructor took control and applied right rudder and aileron in an attempt to steer away from the trees. The aircraft became prematurely airborne at around that time; the instructor pitched the nose down slightly and continued the climb, but the left wing started to contact tree branches. Despite additional right rudder and aileron inputs, the wing continued to contact branches. The instructor intended to fly the aircraft away into the circuit, but the wing continued to strike trees. A loud bang from the left wing was followed by a violent rotation through 180 degrees in a level attitude into the trees. The aircraft then exited the trees travelling backwards and landed nose-first, right wing slightly down, on the A40 trunk road. The cabin came to rest in the right-hand lane of the southeast-bound carriageway and the tail in the central reservation. No road traffic collided with the aircraft, and the occupants exited with only minor injuries.
Conclusion
The instructor assessed that the accident occurred when the aircraft was allowed to drift into the trees close to the left side of the runway during takeoff. The left wing’s contact with the branches caused a yaw to the left which the instructor was unable to correct.