Accident Details
On 16 January 2008 at 1300 UTC, an Aeroprakt A22 Foxbat, registration G-VROD, was involved in an accident during takeoff from a grass runway at Kilkeel, County Down. The aircraft was a single-engine, high-wing microlight with a Rotax 912 ULS piston engine, manufactured in 2003. The flight was private, with one pilot and one passenger on board. Both occupants were uninjured.
History of the Flight
The pilot reported that heavy rain had fallen in the days before the accident, but fine conditions between showers appeared suitable for a local flight. He arrived at the airfield and walked the length of the grass runway, assessing it as damp with occasional wet patches.
Takeoff proceeded normally until the pilot began to rotate. As he rotated, the main wheels ran onto a wet patch on the runway, causing slight deceleration. He held the nosewheel off the ground, the aircraft gained speed again, and became airborne. However, the aircraft then yawed to the right. Unable to correct the yaw, the pilot closed the throttle and abandoned the takeoff. The aircraft touched down on undulating ground beside the runway, struck a hedge at low speed, and came to a stop. The pilot shut the aircraft down, and both occupants disembarked without difficulty.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The commander held a National Private Pilot’s Licence and was 31 years old. He had a total of 228 flying hours, including 43 hours on type. In the 90 days prior, he had flown 11 hours, with 3 hours in the last 28 days.
Damage
The accident resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing and the propeller being damaged.
Probable Cause
The pilot assessed the cause of the accident as a loss of airspeed on rotation, which caused the aircraft to become airborne closer to the stall than usual.