What happened
On the morning of the accident, an HS-125 departed Bristol for a scheduled flight via East Midlands Airport to Edinburgh. After completing the passenger leg to Edinburgh, the aircraft was intended to fly empty to Newcastle to pick up a return group. During this repositioning leg, which carried no passengers, the captain utilized the flight as a command training session for a trainee pilot.
Prior to departure from Edinburgh, the crew established a training scenario involving a simulated single-engine failure during takeoff. To facilitate the exercise, the rudder bias system was deactivated. The aircraft departed from runway 13 using a zero-flap configuration. As the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 12 feet and a speed of 130 knots, the instructor manually reduced power to the port engine to initiate the simulation.
Following the reduction in power, the trainee pilot applied significant force to the left rudder pedal and held it in place. Although the captain attempted to intervene by applying full right aileron and increasing power to the port engine, the aircraft entered a rapid left roll. Approximately 700 feet after liftoff, the port wingtip impacted the runway, causing the fuel tank to rupture and leak fuel.
The aircraft veered off the runway at a 30-degree angle, traveling across the grass and partially inverting before settling on its landing gear. The lateral movement caused the nose gear to detach, and the aircraft slid across the airfield, sustaining heavy structural damage. A flash fire occurred as spilled fuel ignited during the excursion, though the airport fire service quickly suppressed the remaining flames.
Findings
- The training exercise involved a simulated engine failure with the rudder bias system switched off.
- The trainee pilot applied incorrect rudder input during the simulated emergency, which led to the loss of directional control.