Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Tecnam P92-EA Echo, registration G-TCNM, manufactured in 2002 (serial number PFA 318-13922). It was powered by a single Jabiru 2200A piston engine. The flight was conducted under a Private Pilot’s Licence by a 67-year-old pilot with 650 flight hours, including 300 hours on type. In the 90 days prior, he had flown 10 hours, with 2 hours in the last 28 days.
History of the Flight
The pilot intended to fly from Lleweni Parc Airfield to Wolverhampton Airport. After performing pre-departure power checks, during which the engine responded normally, he aligned the aircraft on Runway 27 and applied full power. The takeoff roll was normal; at an indicated airspeed of 45 knots, the pilot rotated and climbed at approximately 45 knots. As the aircraft passed 200 ft above ground level, the engine suddenly lost power. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft stalled. The pilot had insufficient height to recover from the stall, and the aircraft impacted the grass to the right of the runway in a level attitude, approximately 300 m from the start of the takeoff roll.
Damage and Injuries
The pilot was not injured. The ground impact caused the nose and right main landing gear legs to collapse and distorted the fuselage’s steel-tube spaceframe. The propeller, windmilling at impact, sustained damage to its tips.
Aircraft Performance Data
The aircraft’s flight manual specifies, for a weight of 450 kg and flaps retracted, the speed for best rate of climb (VY) as 62 knots. The stalling speed with flaps set at 15° is listed as 36 knots. The speed for best angle of climb (VX) is not listed in the manual; however, information from the Light Aircraft Association (LAA), derived from a flight test report of the Tecnam P92J (a factory-built version of the P92E with a Rotax 912A engine), indicates that VX is 52 knots for an aircraft weight of 525 kg.
Sequence Leading to the Stall
According to the pilot, the aircraft had not accelerated to at least VX before being placed into a climbing attitude. Following the engine failure, the airspeed reduced, and the aircraft stalled before the pilot could respond.