What happened
On 6 November 2006, an Aerotechnik EV-97A Eurostar, registration G-CEGO, was performing a private flight from a grass airfield in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Following routine maintenance and several completed circuits, the pilot prepared for another takeoff from Runway 33. After performing power and pre-flight checks, the pilot lined the aircraft up on the runway.
Upon applying full power, the pilot noted an immediate tendency for the aircraft to veer to the left. While attempting to correct this with right rudder, the pilot felt a juddering sensation in the nosewheel, suggesting the aircraft was traversing uneven ground. As the nosewheel lifted and the aircraft began to pitch up, it suddenly veered violently to the left and pitched down. The pilot immediately reduced the throttle to idle, but the aircraft left the runway and entered a deep ditch at the edge of the airfield.
The investigation
The investigation, prompted by the pilot's accident report, focused on the aircraft's path during the takeoff roll. The airfield featured rows of brambles growing near the edge of the grass runway. The pilot's account indicated that the aircraft's track was deflected by these plants, leading to the loss of control and subsequent impact with the ditch.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained significant damage, including a destroyed propeller, a bent noseleg, a creased firewall, a collapsed starboard main landing gear, and damage to the passenger seat.
- There were no injuries to the pilot.
- The primary cause of the accident was the aircraft's alignment too close to the brambles growing on the side of the runway, which deflected the aircraft's path and caused it to enter the ditch.