What happened
On August 30, 2014, a Cessna 182 L prepared for tandem skydiving departed from the Unterschüpf airfield (EDGU) for a scheduled jump flight. The aircraft was carrying five occupants, including the pilot and four passengers.
During the takeoff roll on the ascending grass runway, the pilot attempted to lift the aircraft, but the nose pitched up excessively. Despite the pilot's efforts to push the controls forward, the aircraft failed to gain altitude and instead drifted to the left at a 15-degree angle. Passengers reported experiencing oscillations around the longitudinal and lateral axes. After approximately 20 seconds of flight, the aircraft struck a cornfield and impacted the ground. There were no fatalities or injuries among the five occupants, though the aircraft sustained heavy damage and minor damage was caused to the surrounding vegetation.
The investigation
The BFU investigation focused on the aircraft's weight, balance, and the pilot's performance. Investigators determined that the aircraft's takeoff mass was approximately 1,380 kg, which exceeded the maximum allowable takeoff weight of 1,270 kg by roughly 110 kg.
Because the aircraft had been modified for skydiving and lacked seats and seatbelts for the passengers, the exact positioning of the occupants could not be precisely verified. However, based on the distribution of the 467 kg of payload (passengers and equipment), investigators concluded that the aircraft was in an aft center of gravity condition. The investigation also noted that the pilot had relatively limited flight experience, with only 35 total flight hours.
Findings
- The aircraft was overloaded by approximately 110 kg.
- The aircraft was operating in an aft center of gravity condition.
- The pilot initiated the rotation too early, leading to an excessive angle of attack.
- The takeoff occurred on an ascending grass runway, which contributed to the difficulty in maintaining airspeed.
- The pilot's limited flight experience contributed to the improper takeoff technique.