What happened
During the takeoff roll at the departure airfield, the Bristol Freighter began deviating toward the right side of the runway. The flight was being operated by the co-pilot, an experienced aviator with 60 hours of experience on this specific aircraft type. Initial attempts to correct the rightward swing resulted in a momentary leftward movement, but the aircraft subsequently continued to drift toward the right edge of the runway.
In an effort to maintain control, the commander moved to the controls to assist the co-pilot. As the aircraft approached the edge of the runway, the crew became aware of personnel and a small control tower situated nearby. To prevent a collision with these objects, the pilots applied full up-elevator. However, due to the insufficient airspeed at that moment, the aircraft entered a stall.
During the stall, the left wingtip made contact with the ground. This impact forced the aircraft into a sideways motion, which caused the landing gear to collapse upon contact with the runway surface. The aircraft subsequently slid off the paved surface and onto the adjacent grass. There was no fire following the incident. The accident resulted in three injuries among the passengers, with no fatalities reported.
Findings
- The aircraft's tendency to swing during the takeoff phase was a known characteristic of the Bristol Freighter model.
- The decision to apply full up-elevator to avoid ground personnel contributed to the aerodynamic stall.