What happened
On October 24, 2015, at approximately 09:57 UTC, a Rockwell Commander 114A was performing a flight from Seitenstetten (LOLT) toward Krakow (EPKK). During the takeoff from runway 10, the pilot positioned the aircraft to the right of the centerline to avoid debris on the runway. Due to higher grass on the right side of the runway, the pilot lifted the aircraft from the ground as early as possible.
Following takeoff, the aircraft maintained a steep angle of attack at a low altitude, with indicated airspeeds between 65 and 70 knots, but failed to climb. As the aircraft encountered trees and obstacles in its flight path, the pilot determined that further ascent was impossible and initiated an emergency landing in a field approximately 4 km east of the airfield. Upon impact with the soft ground, the nose gear collapsed, and the wingtips sustained damage. The two occupants of the aircraft were uninjured.
The investigation
The Austrian SUB investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's flight experience, and the sequence of events leading to the landing. The investigation focused on the engine's performance and the pilot's pre-flight procedures. The pilot reported that the engine was producing less power than usual. This deficiency was attributed to an error during the pre-flight magneto check, where the pilot failed to switch to both magnetos, leaving the engine operating on only one.
Findings
- The aircraft lacked sufficient power reserves to maintain a safe flight profile immediately after takeoff.
- The pilot's decision to rotate early to avoid runway debris contributed to a high angle of attack.
- Reduced engine power was caused by the use of only a single magneto system following an incomplete pre-flight check.
- The low altitude and lack of climb capability severely restricted the pilot's options for selecting a suitable emergency landing site.