What happened
On 9 February 2001, a Piper PA-38-112, registration G-JEFF, was performing a private flight from Baxterley Charity Farm, located near Atherstone, Warwickshire. The pilot intended to execute a short-field take-off from the grass runway, which features a 600-metre length with a right-hand 'dog leg' and a slight downhill slope. Because the pilot was unfamiliar with this specific strip and noted the grass was damp, he had calculated a required take-off distance of 390 metres.
During the departure, the pilot used one stage of flaps and reached a rotation speed of 53 kt. However, shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 10 feet before descending toward rising terrain at the end of the strip. Despite maintaining full power, the aircraft could not clear the rising ground beyond a ditch at the runway's terminus. The aircraft struck the ground, pitched onto its nose, and came to rest in an inverted position. The pilot escaped the aircraft without injury, though he noted difficulty in opening the cockpit door.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the pilot's report and telephone enquiries, established that the engine performance remained consistent throughout the take-off run. The pilot confirmed that the actual distance covered before liftoff was approximately equal to his pre-calculated estimate of 390 metres. The investigation focused on the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft immediately following rotation and the pilot's pitch attitude relative to the terrain.