What happened
On 24 August 2014, a Tecnam P9LE-EA Echo, registration G-TCNM, was performing a private flight from Lleweni Parc Airfield in Denbighshire toward Wolverhampton Airport. Following standard pre-departure power checks, the pilot commenced the takeoff roll on Runway 27 using full power. The aircraft reached a rotation speed of approximately 45 kt and began its climb.
As the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 200 ft, the engine suffered a sudden loss of power. This failure was immediately followed by an aerodynamic stall. Due to the low altitude, the pilot was unable to execute a recovery maneuver. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground on the grass adjacent to the runway, approximately 300 m from the start of the takeoff roll. The impact resulted in no injuries to the pilot, but caused significant damage to the propeller, the nose, the right main landing gear legs, and the fuselage spaceframe.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight parameters and the aircraft's performance capabilities. While the aircraft's flight manual specifies a stalling speed of 36 kt with 15° flaps, the speed for the best rate of climb (VY) is listed as 62 kt for a 450 kg weight. Additionally, data from the LAA regarding similar models suggested a best angle of climb (VX) of approximately 52 kt.
Analysis of the flight sequence revealed that the pilot had rotated the aircraft at 45 kt. Because the aircraft had not yet reached the required airspeed for the best angle of climb (VX) before the engine failure occurred, the airspeed decayed rapidly following the loss of power, leading to the stall.