Accident Summary
On 13 December 2015 at 1445 UTC, a Robin DR400/180 Regent, registration G-CGGO, was involved in a ground accident at Croft Marsh Airfield in Lincolnshire. The aircraft, a single-engine piston monoplane with a Lycoming O-360-A3A engine, was being operated by a private pilot on a non-commercial flight. The pilot was the sole occupant and reported no injuries.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was manufactured in 1987 (serial no. 1756) and was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A3A piston engine producing 180 hp. The pilot, aged 69, held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had accumulated 648 total flying hours, of which 130 were on the Robin DR400 type. In the previous 90 days, he had flown 2 hours, with 1 hour in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was proceeding along a grass taxiway towards the runway, which had a magnetic orientation of 080°. The taxiway heading was approximately 050°M. Due to the runway being only 500 m long and its surface being wet, the pilot decided to move to the left side of the taxiway to execute a “sweeping turn” onto the runway and a “rolling start”. While still on the taxiway, he applied full power. Immediately, the nose of the aircraft turned to the left. The left wingtip struck a tree, and the propeller made contact with the ground, causing the engine to stop.
The pilot reported that this was his first flight in the 180 hp variant of the Robin DR400, having previously flown the 160 hp version for six years. He noted being surprised by the more pronounced left-turning tendency when power was applied with the larger engine.
Damage
The accident resulted in damage to the left wing and the propeller.