What happened
On 25 August 2010, an An-26B cargo aircraft, registered SP-FDP, was preparing for a flight from Tallinn-Lennart Meri-Ülemiste Airport to Helsinki. After completing standard procedures, the crew taxied from taxiway B onto runway 08 to begin the takeoff sequence.
At 16:47:22, the aircraft began its takeoff roll. Flight data and cockpit voice recordings indicate that the pilot initiated rotation at a speed of 123 km/h, which was significantly below the calculated rotation speed (Vr) of 201 km/h. Following this premature rotation, the aircraft's pitch angle increased to 4.6 degrees. Approximately 16 seconds after the roll began, the navigator called out the V1 speed of 160.5 km/h, which was also below the required decision speed of 182 km/h. Shortly after this callout, the aircraft began to pitch downward.
The aircraft subsequently made contact with the runway surface. It slid on its belly for a distance of 1,228 meters, eventually coming to a stop 3 meters to the right of the runway centerline. There were no injuries reported among the crew, and no fire occurred during the event. The incident was classified as an accident because of the premature rotation at insufficient airspeed which caused substantial damage to the aircraft structure.
Findings
- The aircraft rotation was initiated at 123 km/h, failing to meet the required Vr of 201 km/h.
- The V1 decision speed was reached at 160.5 km/h, failing to meet the required 182 km/h.
- The aircraft's descent and subsequent runway excursion were caused by the lack of sufficient airspeed during the takeoff roll.