What happened
On 27 October 2008, an Aero AT-3 R100, registration G-DPEP, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Old Sarum Airfield, Wiltshire. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot performing his second solo circuit practice following a successful dual flight with an instructor.
Upon positioning the aircraft into the wind and initiating the takeoff roll, the pilot applied full throttle very rapidly. This sudden power increase caused the aircraft to swing sharply to the left. During this maneuver, the pilot inadvertently applied pressure to the left brake pedal. As the aircraft continued down the grass runway, the left wheel struck a runway marker, causing the aircraft to veer further left. The aircraft then breached the perimeter fence and collided with an agricultural roller located in an adjacent field. The impact resulted in damage to the leading edge of the wings and the loss of one propeller blade. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the loss of directional control. The pilot's own assessment indicated that the rapid application of power at the start of the takeoff run, combined with the accidental use of the left brake, were the primary factors in the excursion. The pilot also noted that his corrective right rudder input was applied too late to prevent the deviation from the runway heading.