Incident Overview
On 17 June 1998 at 1940 UTC, a privately operated Pulsar aircraft, registration G-BTDR, was conducting a take-off from Stapleford Tawney Airfield in Essex. The single-engine aircraft, equipped with a Rotax 582 piston engine and a wooden propeller, was manufactured in 1995.
Sequence of Events
As the aircraft reached the point of rotation during its take-off run, it struck a length of rubber hose lying on the runway. The impact caused the nosewheel and its spat to be flicked upward into the propeller. The propeller was destroyed in the collision. Despite the damage, the aircraft became airborne. The pilot executed an uneventful forced landing at the far end of the runway.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 41, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 220 total flying hours, of which 32 were on the Pulsar type. In the 90 days preceding the incident, the pilot had logged 10 hours, and 3 hours in the last 28 days. No passengers were on board, and the crew reported no injuries.
Damage Assessment
The wooden propeller was destroyed. Additionally, the nosewheel spat was destroyed, and the spinner and nose leg attachments sustained damage.
Investigation
The information was sourced from an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The incident was recorded by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) under bulletin number 8/98, reference EW/G98/06/21.