What happened
On September 16, 2002, a Grob G 115, registration PH-SPA, was conducting circuit training at Seppe Airport. The aircraft was occupied by an instructor and a student pilot. During the student's second landing attempt on runway 2/5, the aircraft's nose pitched up significantly, causing it to lift off the ground again.
In an attempt to recover, the instructor took control of the aircraft, applied full throttle, and retracted the flaps. However, the aircraft failed to gain sufficient altitude relative to the runway centerline and began drifting to the left. The aircraft struck the ground just before the airport perimeter fencing, breached the fence, and crossed a small road. After striking a wooden pole, the aircraft finally came to a stop in a cornfield approximately 15 meters from the airfield. While there were no injuries to the occupants, the aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of maneuvers performed during the aborted landing attempt and the aerodynamic state of the aircraft during the recovery phase.
Findings
- The incident was primarily caused by the retraction of flaps at an insufficient airspeed.
- A lack of sufficient right rudder input contributed to the aircraft's lateral deviation from the runway centerline.