What happened
On May 23, 2022, at 13:50 local time, a Cessna 560XLS+ was performing a positioning flight without passengers at Schwäbस्कर Hall airport. During the takeoff roll on runway 28, the flight crew noticed that the aircraft was accelerating significantly slower than normal. This deceleration was caused by a burst tire on the right main landing gear.
As the aircraft continued the takeoff roll, it veered to the right of the runway. The aircraft slid at a low speed onto the grass adjacent to the runway, eventually coming to a halt with the nose gear and the right main gear embedded in the turf. Flight Data Recorder (FDR) analysis confirmed that the crew initiated an aborted takeoff at a speed of approximately 59 knots. There were no injuries to the two crew members, though the aircraft sustained slight damage.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recordings. The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of directional control and the mechanical failure of the tire. Investigators also reviewed the cockpit environment, specifically the visibility of the parking brake lever and the aircraft's warning systems. The investigation also noted that at the time of the incident, thunderstorm cells were in the vicinity, prompting the crew to activate the weather radar while still on the ground.
Findings
- The primary cause of the runway excursion was a burst tire on the right main landing gear.
- A significant contributing factor was that the parking brake was not released during the takeoff roll, as confirmed by cockpit voice recordings.
- The aircraft's takeoff configuration warning system did not integrate the parking brake status, meaning no warning light was triggered to alert the crew that the brake was still engaged.
- The position of the parking brake lever is not visible from the right-hand seat when the left-hand seat is occupied, which can prevent the co-pilot from noticing an engaged brake.