What happened
On 16 September 2002, a Denney Kitslot Mk 2, registration G-LEED, was participating in a training flight at Compton Abbas Airfield in Wiltshire. The flight, intended to practice fast taxi runs, takeoffs, and landings, was being conducted by an instructor and a student. The student, who owned the aircraft, was undergoing training for a Private Pilot's Licence.
During a planned takeoff attempt, the student applied takeoff power. As the aircraft gained speed, the nose began to veer toward the left. In an attempt to correct this, the student applied right rudder. However, the nose then swung sharply to the right, causing the aircraft to depart the grass runway. The aircraft traveled approximately 80 metres across a grass area, striking a parked aircraft and passing through a fence before coming to a stop in a nose-down position against a parked car. Both occupants, who were wearing four-point harnesses, exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the actions of the crew and the mechanical configuration of the aircraft. The student noted that he may have overcorrected the initial leftward swing or potentially applied the right brake unintentionally while using the right rudder pedal. The instructor attempted to intervene once the aircraft left the runway centerline but found that the student's inputs on the throttle and rudder were too significant to override. The instructor ultimately pulled the control column rearward to mitigate the force of the impact with the parked aircraft.
Findings
- The aircraft was equipped with toe brakes on the left side only, which may have hindered the instructor's ability to regain directional control.
- The student's rudder and/or brake inputs caused the loss of directional control.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage during the collision with the parked aircraft, fence, and car.