What happened
On May 22, 2010, a Cessna 182 Q departed from runway 22 at the Moosburg airfield (EDPI) during an airfield festival. The pilot was conducting a sightseeing flight with three adults and a four-year-old child on board.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the aircraft's acceleration felt normal until approximately 55 knots, at which point the aircraft lifted off near the halfway marker of the runway. After rotation, the pilot eased the elevator to allow for further acceleration, but perceived a loss of engine power. Realizing that an aborted takeoff was no longer possible, the pilot attempted to maneuver the aircraft to the right to avoid trees located in the takeoff direction. This maneuver caused the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled flight state and lose altitude.
Witnesses observed the aircraft adopting an extremely high angle of attack immediately after liftoff. One pilot observing from another cockpit reported via radio, "...nose down," noting a brief reduction in the angle of attack. Ultimately, the aircraft lost altitude at the end of the runway, collided with trees and low vegetation, struck the ground, and caught fire. The occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage on their own before the fire spread.
The investigation
The BFU examined the engine and the wreckage at the accident site. The investigation focused on the mechanical condition of the powerplant and the sequence of events leading to the loss of control. The wreckage showed that the right wing had collided with a tree, resulting in the loss of approximately 1.5 meters of the outer wing and the aileron.
Findings
Technical analysis of the engine revealed a significant mechanical failure in the first cylinder. Investigators found that red-orange particles had entered the hydraulic unit of the exhaust rocker arm, blocking the oil passages. This failure caused the hydraulic unit to become non-functional, preventing the exhaust valve from reaching its full required lift. Consequently, the exhaust valve opened too late and not far enough to clear all combustion gases from the cylinder. This resulted in a gas buildup in cylinder number one, causing an engine power loss of approximately 20%.
All five occupants sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, and there was damage to the surrounding vegetation.