Accident Overview
On 4 July 2004 at approximately 1400 UTC, a Cessna 172, registration SE-IYF, was destroyed after stalling and crashing during takeoff from the airstrip on Lundy Island, Bristol Channel, North Devon. The pilot, the only person on board, sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was a 1973 model powered by a Lycoming O-320 piston engine.
Airfield Description
Lundy Island is roughly 5 km long and 1 km wide, aligned almost north-south. The landing strip is situated on a plateau at an altitude of 400 feet amsl. The grass strip is approximately 400 metres in length and oriented 050°/230°M. At the time of the accident, the western 200 metres of the runway were marked with white stones, while the eastern 200 metres were unmarked (although they have since been marked). The strip rises from both ends to an apex near its centre, so that a pilot at one end cannot see the other end. A rudimentary windsock on a 12-foot-high pole is located to the south of the runway, abeam the highest point. There is a small outcrop of rocks to the north of the runway, which can cause turbulence in a northerly surface wind. A lighthouse to the south of the airstrip is clearly visible and serves as an orientation aid. Commercial flight guides warn of hazards from birds, livestock, and the rough surface, which includes rabbit holes and rocks.
History of the Flight
The pilot had flown into Lundy Island earlier that morning and had flown from the airstrip on one previous occasion. The weather was good with a north-westerly surface wind; the pilot estimated it at 10 to 15 kt at the time of the accident. After taxiing to the most easterly end of the runway, the pilot turned through 180° in preparation for takeoff. From that position, he could see the top of the windsock pole and was confident he was aligned. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft became airborne earlier than expected. Due to crosswind, the aircraft drifted left, and the pilot noticed he was heading directly toward parked aircraft and people. He attempted to use the available airspeed to climb, but the airspeed decayed rapidly, and the aircraft entered a nose-high attitude from which he could not recover. The aircraft stalled and entered a spin to the left before impacting the ground.
Witnesses reported that the engine noise remained constant until impact. Several pilots standing to the south of the runway observed the aircraft emerge just airborne, wings level, heading toward the windsock and parked aircraft. One witness, who was by the windsock, saw the aircraft heading directly toward him at an estimated six feet agl. All witnesses saw the nose pitch up suddenly from an apparently normal takeoff attitude. The aircraft reached an estimated 50 to 100 feet agl before stalling to the left and impacting the ground left wing first.
Rescue
Three witnesses ran to the crashed aircraft and found the pilot unconscious in the left seat. After releasing his harness, they noticed a fire starting on the left side of the aircraft. They evacuated the pilot just as an explosion occurred from the area of the left fuel tank. The pilot was attended to by a doctor and a nurse among the witnesses, while others used a local fire bowser to extinguish the flames.
Conclusion
Most external observers considered that the aircraft might not have been aligned with the strip during takeoff, although the pilot was confident that he was aligned correctly. The lack of markings at the time of the accident would have made it difficult to assess an accurate line-up. Following the accident, additional markings have been installed. The rapid and effective actions of three witnesses prevented the pilot from sustaining potentially serious injuries.