What happened
On 23 November 1998, a Colomban Cri-Cri, registration G-CRIC, was performing a private flight departing from Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey. During the takeoff roll on Runway 08, the pilot rotated the aircraft at a speed of 40 kt. Upon rotation, the aircraft exhibited a much higher nose attitude than the pilot had anticipated, leading to the tail making contact with the runway surface.
In an attempt to correct the pitch, the pilot pushed the control column forward, which brought the nosewheel back into contact with the ground. During this phase, the aircraft veered toward the left and left the runway surface. The aircraft briefly became airborne again, but maintained an excessively high nose attitude. As the pilot reduced the engine throttles, the aircraft rolled, causing the left wingtip to strike the ground. This impact induced a leftward yaw, and the aircraft eventually settled into a flat attitude before completing a ground loop. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the airframe, though the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry examined the flight dynamics during the rotation phase and the pilot's subsequent control inputs. It was noted that the pilot had limited experience with this specific aircraft type, as this was only their second flight in the Colomban Cri-Cri.