Event Description
On 26 July 2000 at 14:30 local time, a student pilot conducting his fourth solo flight in a SOCATA TB-10 (registration EC-FPN) took off from runway 03 at Salamanca Airport. The flight was intended to practice takeoffs and landings. After completing one touch-and-go, the pilot applied power for takeoff. As the aircraft began to become airborne, it veered to the left. The student pilot decided to abort the takeoff but was unable to regain directional control. The aircraft exited the runway to the left and continued rolling on the grass strip, during which the propeller struck a small mound before the aircraft came to a stop.
The aircraft sustained deformation of the propeller blade tips and possible internal engine damage. The student pilot was uninjured.
Weather conditions at the time: wind from 330° at 8 knots, visibility greater than 10 km, temperature 27°C.
Analysis
According to information provided by the school's flight chief, after landing the student pilot increased engine power for takeoff but did not change the flap configuration from the full flaps setting used for landing. This caused the aircraft to become airborne at a lower speed than normal due to the increased lift from the flaps.
The wind, blowing from 330° at 8 knots, produced a headwind component of 4 knots along the runway axis and a crosswind component of 7 knots from the left, perpendicular to the runway. The effect of the crosswind on the vertical stabilizer became more pronounced when the nose wheel lost contact with the pavement, as the directional control provided by the nose wheel was lost and the rudder effectiveness was reduced at low speed. Since the wind was from the left, the aircraft tended to yaw left.
Faced with difficulty controlling the aircraft, the student pilot decided to abort the takeoff but could not recover control, resulting in the runway excursion.
In conclusion, it was determined that this incident occurred due to the student pilot's lack of experience.