What happened
On 10 September 2002, a Jodel D117, registration ES-JRS, was participating in a private flight at North Weald Aerodrome, Essex. The aircraft, which had been rebuilt in Estonia and was operating under an experimental category certification, was being flown by its owner as part of a trip to attend a fly-in event. The flight was part of a multi-sector journey from Estonia, with the crew of two having arrived at the airfield several days prior.
During the departure from runway 2/20, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on the asphalt surface under winds of 8 to 10 knots from the southwest. Shortly after the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 150 feet, the Continental C90-14F engine failed. The pilot was forced to perform an immediate landing, which resulted in extensive damage to the airframe. Despite the impact, there was no fire, and both the pilot and the passenger escaped without injury.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation was initiated following the submission of an accident report by the pilot. The inquiry established that the aircraft had been maintained by the owner, a professional engineer, with the most recent annual inspection having been completed in July 2002. The pilot possessed a Private Pilots Licence and significant experience on this specific type, having flown it for 212 of his 243 total flying hours.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred at a low altitude of approximately 150 feet above ground level.
- The pilot initially suspected that the spark plug failure was the most likely cause of the power loss.
- No immediate definitive cause for the engine malfunction was established during the initial investigation.