What happened
On 4 April 2006, a Mainair Sports Pegasus Quik, registration G-OKEM, was performing a private flight from a private airstrip located near Almondsbury, Gloucestershire. During the takeoff roll, the pilot observed that the aircraft was not accelerating at the expected rate. The pilot attributed this sluggish performance to a combination of soft ground conditions and a potential reduction in engine performance.
Believing the aircraft would not achieve the necessary speed to become airborne, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff. As the pilot applied the brakes to decelerate, the aircraft entered a ground loop. The incident resulted in minor injuries to one passenger, while the pilot remained uninjured. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the cockpit fairing.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the conditions of the airstrip and the aircraft's performance during the takeoff roll. The pilot's experience was noted as 210 total flying hours, with 138 of those hours completed on this specific type of aircraft.