What happened
On 15 October 2008, a Cessna 182F Skylane, registration G-WARP, was performing a private flight from Caernarfon Aerodrome in Gwynedd, Wales. During the takeoff ground roll, the aircraft was struck by a gust of wind originating from the left. Despite the pilot maintaining full into-wind aileron input, the left wing lifted. This caused the aircraft to pitch nose-down, resulting in the propeller making contact with the runway surface. Following the strike, the pilot managed to taxi the aircraft off the runway and subsequently shut down the engine.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the takeoff roll and the impact of environmental conditions on the aircraft's stability. The examination established that the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the engine suffered a shock-load. The pilot, who held a private pilot's licence and had 416 total flying hours, provided the primary information regarding the incident via the accident report form.
Findings
- A sudden gust of wind from the left side caused the left wing to lift.
- The propeller struck the runway during the nose-down pitch following the wing lift.
- The engine was subjected to a shock-load as a result of the propeller strike.