What happened
On 19 November 2005, a Grumman AA-5 Traveller, registration G-BBSA, was performing a private flight from Durham Tees Valley Airport to Chichester (Goodwood) Airfield. Following standard pre-flight procedures and refueling, the pilot taxied the aircraft to Runway 23. The weather conditions were calm with a light wind of 3 kt from 210°.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot monitored the airspeed indicator. Although the pilot had planned to rotate at 70 mph, the instrument indicated 80 mph. At this point, the pilot applied back pressure on the control column and initiated rotation. While the aircraft successfully lifted off, it immediately entered a series of pitch oscillations, commonly known as 'porpoising.' Despite the pilot applying full power and maintaining back pressure on the yoke, the nose pitched down uncontrollably. The nose landing gear and the propeller struck the runway surface. To avoid colliding with other aircraft landing at the time, the pilot steered the aircraft onto the grass, where it came to a halt. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical condition and the flight dynamics leading to the impact. Following the incident, the aircraft underwent repairs, which included the installation of a new propeller and a nose landing gear strut, alongside a shock-load inspection of the engine. Air traffic control personnel in the tower provided eyewitness accounts, confirming they observed the aircraft undergoing multiple pitch oscillations prior to the nose gear making contact with the runway.