What happened
On 26 December 2005, a Beech C23 Sundowner, registration G-BASN, was performing a private flight departing from Aldergrove Airport, Northern Ireland. During the takeoff roll from Runway 25, the Air Traffic Control Officer noticed an unidentified object hanging from the aircraft's tail.
Upon inspection, the object was identified as a tyre filled with concrete, which had been utilized as a weight to secure the aircraft while parked on the ground. The pilot had removed the tie-down weights from the wings during the pre-flight inspection but had inadvertently left the tail weight attached.
The investigation
Following the observation by the tower controller, the pilot was notified of the hazard. The pilot subsequently completed a normal circuit and returned to the airfield. After landing, the aircraft was taxied away from the runway, where the engine was shut down. The concrete-filled tyre was then removed from the tail. A full inspection of the runway was conducted prior to any subsequent operations.
Findings
- The pilot failed to notice the presence of the tie-down weight attached to the tail during the pre-flight inspection.
- The object was a tyre filled with concrete used for ground securing.