Incident Overview
An aircraft overran runway 25 and plunged into Nakaumi Lake after the crew rejected the takeoff during the rotation phase. The copilot, who was pilot-in-command, initiated the rotation upon reaching V2 speed but found the elevator control to be too heavy and decided to abort the takeoff.
Emergency Response and Rescue
Following the rejected takeoff, the crew applied emergency braking procedures. However, the aircraft could not stop within the remaining runway distance, resulting in an overrun and subsequent descent into the lake. All 52 occupants were successfully rescued from the accident. Of those, eight individuals sustained injuries. The aircraft itself was damaged beyond repair.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, weather conditions at the time were marginal, with light snow showers present. The crew had failed to perform a deicing procedure prior to takeoff. It was believed that this oversight may have led to an accumulation of ice, frost, or slush on the elevator, affecting its control heaviness. Additionally, the captain had been acting as such on YS-11 aircraft for less than six months and was not authorized to relinquish control to the copilot during takeoff.