What happened
On 29 July 2001, a Piper PA-28-151, registration SE-GBR, was performing a private orientation flight near Norrtälje/Mellingeholm airport in Sweden. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and two passengers. During the takeoff roll on runway 25, the crew noted sluggish acceleration. The aircraft experienced several transient liftoffs before finally becoming airborne less than 50 meters from the end of the runway.
During the climb, the stall warning activated. Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft struck a bush, and a subsequent turn led the left wing into a dense forest of 3–4 meter high brushwood. The impact broke the left wing off, and the aircraft came to rest upright, though a fire immediately engulfed the cabin. All three occupants successfully evacuated through the right-side door without injury.
The investigation
The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) examined the wreckage and the pilot's credentials. The investigation confirmed that no technical failures occurred; the engine was producing full power. However, investigators found that the pilot was not legally qualified to fly with passengers under German regulations, having performed only one landing on this aircraft type in the previous 90 days.
Furthermore, the investigation analyzed the runway conditions at Norrtälje/Mellingeholm. While the physical runway length appeared sufficient based on standard manuals, the initial portion of runway 25 features an upward slope. The investigation determined that the takeoff distance required to reach 15 meters of altitude was actually much greater than the available runway when accounting for this gradient.
Findings
- The pilot lacked the necessary qualifications to carry passengers on this flight.
- The use of a 10-degree flap setting was disadvantageous for the short runway conditions.
- The pilot failed to utilize short-field takeoff procedures.
- The takeoff distance was insufficient because the required corrections for the uphill runway slope were not applied.
- The aircraft's energy was depleted by improper control inputs, specifically holding the nose too far aft, which caused the stall warning and subsequent loss of climb performance.