What happened
During an attempt to depart from Bodmin for a flight destined for Plymouth, an aircraft failed to lift off from the grass runway 3ered. The pilot was operating from runway 32, which was noted to be in a wet and soft condition with grass length exceeding standard levels. As the aircraft accelerated, it was unable to reach the necessary airspeed required to achieve flight within the remaining runway distance. Consequently, the aircraft overran the end of the strip and entered an area characterized by dense gorse and moorland.
There was no fire following the excursion. Both occupants, who were secured with lap and diagonal shoulder harnesses, exited the aircraft through the standard exits without sustaining any injuries. The total number of 0 fatalities and 0 injuries was recorded following the event.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified that the failure to select the 15° flap setting as specified in the aircraft's flight manual contributed to the loss of performance. The combination of the unselected flap setting and the degraded state of the runway surface, which was soft and wet with long grass, prevented the aircraft from reaching rotation speed before the end of the available runway.