History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Piper PA-34-220T registered G-BMNT, departed from Oxford Airport on the morning of 1 June 2000 and landed at the July Strip at Newmarket Racecourse to pick up two passengers. The pilot had been in contact with Cambridge Air Traffic Control until shortly before landing. After landing, the aircraft parked at the southern end of Runway 32, a grass strip 3,000 feet long and 230 feet wide. The pilot waited approximately 30 minutes for the passengers before planning to depart to Southampton, from where the passengers intended to attend a race meeting at Goodwood.
Witnesses on the July Course west of the Devil's Ditch observed the takeoff. They reported the aircraft accelerating along the runway, bouncing unusually, and later seeing dirt or dust thrown up under the right main wheel. The aircraft then became airborne. Passengers later reported several hops into the air followed by the nose pitching down, culminating in a hard impact with an associated loud noise. Ground marks revealed that the right propeller struck the ground for about one-fifth of a second during the latter stage of the takeoff.
After becoming airborne, the aircraft immediately turned right, crossing low above the course railings. Smoke or vapour was seen from the right side. It climbed only slightly before disappearing beyond the dyke. Witnesses on the Rowley Mile Course, east of the dyke, saw the aircraft hit the dyke and then cartwheel onto the ground, where a severe fire broke out.
The two passengers, seated in the rear forward-facing seats, escaped through the rear baggage hatch that had partially opened during impact. The pilot, in the left forward seat, was unable to escape; one passenger attempted to assist but was prevented by the intense heat of the fire.
Weather conditions reported at Cambridge Airport at 1120 hours, 8 nm west of Newmarket, included a surface wind of 210°/10 kt, varying between 190° and 260°, broken cloud at 1,200 feet, and visibility 10 km. Witnesses described the wind as blowing directly across the strip from left to right, calling it moderate or strong.
Pilot Experience
The pilot held a Commercial Pilot's Licence (Frozen ATPL) and had 1,525 hours total flying experience, with 60 hours on type. He was flying freelance for a company transporting passengers to race meetings and had extensive experience in such operations. He had previously flown from the July landing strip many times, typically in a Cessna 303. Due to the Cessna's unavailability, he had been flying G-BMNT for a few days, including several visits to the strip in the four days preceding the accident.
The pilot's Seneca experience was limited to 60 hours, all of which were long cross-country sectors, the last recorded in Africa in 1992. On 27 May 2000, he began a series of flights in G-BMNT, starting with a 20-minute solo familiarisation flight followed by longer cross-country routes. There was no record of the pilot ever receiving training on a Seneca or practicing engine failure and shutdown procedures on type, nor was such training required for private flights. His most recent practice of asymmetric flight procedures was during an instrument rating test on 17 June 1999.
A post-mortem examination of the pilot did not reveal any factors that could have contributed to the accident.
Aircraft Performance
The exact loading could not be determined, but estimated takeoff weight was between 3,850 and 4,300 lb (1,745–1,950 kg), within the maximum certificated takeoff weight of 4,407 lb (1,999 kg). Performance calculations used a mid-range weight of 4,000 lb (1,955 kg). Centre of gravity fell within the allowable range.
The manufacturer's performance graph for the grass runway and prevailing conditions predicted a ground roll of 1,390 feet with 0° flap and 700 feet with 25° flap. The actual ground roll to the start of propeller ground marks was 1,000 feet. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) recommends 0° flap for normal takeoff with a rotate speed of 79 kt, and for shortest ground roll and 50-foot obstacle clearance, 25° flap with a rotate speed of 64 kt. The POH warns that using 25° flap and holding the airplane on the runway too long may result in a 'wheel-barrowing' tendency, which should be avoided. No different technique is specified for crosswind takeoffs.
Single engine climb performance data assumes gear and flaps up, propeller feathered, and best rate of climb speed of 92 kt, yielding 450 fpm. With extra drag from gear, flap, and propeller, a banked attitude, and lower airspeed, most or all of this climb performance would likely be eroded. Certification required a minimum propeller ground clearance of 7 inches in normal takeoff attitude and positive clearance with a deflated tyre and bottomed strut.
Site Investigation
The aircraft came to rest on a grass field 45 metres east of the Devil's Ditch, 245 metres to the right of the runway centreline, pointing roughly on the takeoff heading. The right wing was almost completely detached and inverted; the left wing inboard section, engine nacelle, and main landing gear remained in situ. Most of the aircraft above floor level was consumed by fire, except the extreme rear fuselage and empennage. The right engine was detached during initial ground impact and thrown 12 metres from the main wreckage. Both propellers broke off at the first major ground impact, about 15 metres from the dyke embankment, which also contained nose debris. The distance from first major impact to final rest was 30 metres.
On the runway, about 20 propeller slashes were visible with a mainwheel tyre impression running through them. The mainwheel mark and a fainter nosewheel impression started and finished at the same time, beginning 300 metres from the runway threshold, slightly right of centreline. No clear left mainwheel impression was found.
Site analysis indicated that the takeoff was normal until the right main and nose wheels and propeller struck the ground. The propeller slashes corresponded to a groundspeed of 79 kt at takeoff RPM. Tyre marks suggested a firm-to-heavy touchdown on the right main and nose wheels. The aircraft then lifted off, arced right in a right-wing-low attitude, and struck the embankment with the right wingtip, causing a rapid yaw and a steep nose-down cartwheel. Both propellers detached, and the aircraft rotated about 270° before coming to rest sideways, with an immediate intense fire. Both main landing gear legs were down and locked; the nosewheel tyre impression indicated the nose gear had not collapsed.