History of the Flight
The instructor briefed the student on the short field takeoff technique from a grass strip. The aircraft was lined up on the threshold of Runway 09L, which has a Takeoff Run Available of 518 m. One notch of flap (21°) was selected and the aircraft was held on the brakes as engine power was increased. The brakes were released and, as the airspeed increased, the instructor noted that the engine gauges read normally. The rotation, acceleration in ground effect, and the initial climb proceeded without incident. However, as the aircraft began to climb away, the instructor observed that the nose was too high. He lowered the nose to the correct attitude and instructed the student to maintain this attitude. The nose again began to rise, so the instructor took control. At that point, the controls felt ‘sloppy’ and he became aware that the aircraft was descending. He lowered the nose and checked that the throttle lever was fully forward. With insufficient runway remaining to land, and aware of a busy road ahead, the instructor steered the aircraft towards a hedge, into which it crashed. The instructor and student vacated the aircraft through the normal exits, both unhurt. The aircraft was extensively damaged after hitting two concrete posts concealed in the hedge.
Observations from the Flight Information Service Officer (FISO)
The FISO, who observed the aircraft from the tower, reported that the wind was from 160° at 5 kts. During the takeoff run, acceleration seemed slow. Once the aircraft reached the intersection of Runway 02/20, it pitched up and appeared to struggle to climb. On reaching the end of Runway 09L, the aircraft appeared to stall and enter a steep nose-down pitch attitude. The FISO reported that emergency services responded promptly, with the Airport Fire Service responding immediately and local fire service, ambulance, and police arriving shortly thereafter.
Comments
The instructor reported that the aircraft was equipped with a vane-type stall warner, but he was not aware of it operating during the accident. He believes the accident happened because the aircraft pitched up too much during the climb, causing it to enter a stall.