What happened
A training flight involving a Fokker F27 operated by Maersk Air was conducting transition training for company pilots when the accident occurred. The crew consisted of one instructor captain and three trainee pilots. After departing Copenhagen Airport, the aircraft proceeded to Rønne Airport on Bornholm to perform several touch-and-go landings. Following two successful landings using the ILS, the crew prepared for a third approach designed to simulate a failure of the right engine.
During the inbound phase of this third approach, the instructor reduced power on the right engine to zero thrust to mimic an engine malfunction. After landing, the crew prepared for another takeoff, intending to simulate a second engine failure once the aircraft reached a specific speed between V1 and V2. As the trainee pilot initiated the takeoff with both engines at power, the instructor cut the left engine once the landing gear was retracted.
As the aircraft climbed, the trainee attempted to maintain a specific airspeed by pulling back on the control column. This action caused the airspeed to decay to approximately 88-89 knots. The aircraft began to roll heavily to the left and then to the right, with the trainee using large aileron inputs to attempt to stabilize the flight. Despite the instructor eventually taking control and applying full power to the left engine, the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The plane struck bushes and ground roughly 270 meters west of the runway end before sliding into the sea. The impact caused the airframe to break into multiple sections.
Findings
The investigation determined that the aircraft was placed in a flight condition with extremely limited climb capability during the simulated failure maneuver. The trainee's attempt to manage the airspeed resulted in the aircraft reaching a state approaching a stall. Furthermore, the instructor failed to recognize the immediate danger of the deteriorating flight parameters quickly enough to implement the necessary corrective actions.