What happened
On 14 September 2001, a Boeing 727-223RE, registration EI-HCI, was operating a scheduled cargo flight from London Luton Airport to Brussels. The aircraft had previously arrived at Luton from Orebro, Sweden, following a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark. During the loading process at Luton, several errors occurred regarding the distribution of cargo containers.
As the aircraft prepared for departure, the crew calculated a takeoff mass of 150,52 and a required stabilizer trim setting. During the takeoff roll on Runway 26, the commander initiated rotation at 121 knots, but the aircraft failed to respond to the initial aft movement of the control column. The pilot applied significantly more rearward pressure and utilized the electric trim switches to induce nose-up trim. The aircraft eventually rotated and lifted off, though the pilot delayed the initial departure turn to ensure the aircraft remained under control. Upon arrival in Brussels, it was discovered that the cargo was not positioned according to the load plan.
The investigation
An AAIB field investigation examined the loading procedures and the aircraft's flight data. Analysis of the Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) confirmed that there was no discernible change in pitch attitude for approximately five seconds after the rotation attempt, and the control column was held near the full aft position.
The investigation found that two primary errors occurred during loading. First, a container was misidentified via a verbal transmission, leading to it being placed in Bay K instead of the planned Bay M. Second, the floor locks had not been reset following the previous flight, which caused the containers to be positioned incorrectly. The ramp coordinator, who was supervising from the ground, could not visually verify the internal distribution of the cargo. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the aircraft's center of gravity was near the forward limit for takeoff and outside the forward limit for landing.
Findings
- The improper distribution of cargo caused the aircraft's center of gravity to be significantly forward of the required limit.
- A container was misidentified due to a verbal communication error and placed in the wrong bay.
- Floor locks were left in the 'UP' position from a previous flight, preventing correct container placement.
- The ramp coordinator's supervision from the ground prevented a visual check of the cargo's actual position.
- The flight crew had no specific training for handling the aircraft in an out-of-trim condition.
- The loading process was potentially disrupted by a period of silence observed at the airport.