What happened
During a stream take-off, the pilot of a de Havilland Venom, registration ZK-VNM, became preoccupied with a Mustang aircraft that was departing immediately ahead. While attempting to initiate the rotation phase of the take-off, the pilot found that the nosewheel would not lift as expected.
In an effort to correct the situation, the pilot applied nose-up trim, which eventually allowed the nose to rise. However, this maneuver left the aircraft in a position where it could no longer safely complete the take-off or decelerate sufficiently to stop before the runway terminus. The pilot elected to continue straight ahead off the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the pilot escaped without injury and was able to exit the cockpit easily after shutting down the engine.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the critical moments of the departure. It was established that the pilot's attention was diverted by the lead aircraft, which led to a failure to monitor essential engine parameters. Specifically, the pilot did not check the engine RPM during the period when the aircraft failed to rotate normally. This lack of monitoring prevented the pilot from identifying that the engine was not producing the necessary power to support a successful rotation.
Findings
- The pilot was distracted by the preceding Mustang aircraft during the take-off sequence.
- The pilot failed to monitor engine RPM, which resulted in a lack of awareness regarding engine performance.
- The use of nose-up trim to force rotation contributed to the aircraft's inability to stop before the end of the runway.