What happened
On May 30, 2019, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8-202, registration OY-GRJ, was performing a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Nuuk (BGGH) to Kangerlussuaq (BGSF). The aircraft was carrying three crewmembers and 29 passengers.
During the take-off roll on runway 05, the pilot flying reached the rotation speed and applied backpressure to the elevator controls. However, the aircraft failed to respond with the expected pitch attitude. Believing the lack of rotation was caused by a flight control failure, the pilot aborted the take-off by reducing power and applying maximum braking. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 50 meters before the end of the runway. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers, and no damage was sustained by the aircraft.
The investigation
The Danish Accident Investigation Board examined the mass and balance calculations used for the flight. While pre-flight calculations—which utilized standard weights for passengers and crew—indicated the Center of Gravity (CG) was within safe limits, post-flight analysis revealed a different reality.
The investigation found that the actual weights of the crew, passengers, and carry-on baggage were significantly higher than the standard values used in the initial planning. Specifically, the actual masses were approximately 13% higher than the standard estimates. When these real-world weights were applied, the aircraft's CG was found to be 2.4 inches forward of the operational limit.
Findings
- The actual masses of the crew, passengers, and hand baggage exceeded the standard masses used in the pre-flight calculation.
- This discrepancy resulted in a forward center of gravity that was outside the aircraft's operational limitations.
- The forward CG reduced the aircraft's ability to rotate during the take-off roll.
- A minor 3-knot error in airspeed indication, combined with a premature callout by the commander, likely contributed to the pilot's rapid decision to abort the flight.