What happened
On 4 May 2001, at approximately 18:15 UTC, a Europa aircraft, registration G-CHAV, was performing a private flight departing from Runway 27 at Kemble Airfield. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft began to drift toward the left side of the runway under northerly wind conditions of 9 knots.
In an attempt to maintain the centerline, the pilot applied right rudder input. However, this resulted in an overcorrection, leading the pilot to apply left rudder. This sequence of control inputs caused the aircraft to enter a ground loop toward the left. As the aircraft veered off the runway surface and onto the adjacent soft grass, the right main landing gear sustained damage and subsequently detached from the airframe. Both occupants, the pilot and one passenger, were secured by four-point harnesses and exited the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The AAIB examined the sequence of control inputs and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The investigation established that the aircraft's deviation from the runway centerline was followed by an improper corrective action by the pilot, which directly led to the loss of directional control.