Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Reims Cessna F152, registration G-BHNA, manufactured in 1980. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The flight was private, with one pilot and one passenger on board. The commander held a Private Pilot's Licence, was 44 years old, and had 80 hours of total flying experience, all on the accident aircraft type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 16 hours, and in the last 28 days, 6 hours.
Accident Narrative
On 13 October 2005 at 1530 UTC, the pilot planned a local flight from Breighton Airfield in Yorkshire. After completing pre-departure checks and observing the windsock, he aligned the aircraft with Runway 11, a grass runway measuring 852 m (2,795 ft) in length and 45 m (148 ft) in width. During the takeoff roll, the pilot applied into-wind aileron and right rudder to counteract the crosswind. As the aircraft began to lift off, it yawed to the left and then touched down again, now heading towards the side of the runway. The pilot closed the throttle, but before he could apply braking, the aircraft left the runway and entered a ploughed field. The nose pitched down, and the aircraft flipped over, coming to rest upside down. The pilot and passenger evacuated unassisted and were not injured.
Weather Conditions
The weather at the time was reported as good, with broken cloud at approximately 2,500 ft. The surface wind varied in direction between 360° and 040° at 7 to 8 kt.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Pilot's Account
In his report, the pilot ascribed the accident to the effect of a crosswind gust that occurred just as the aircraft lifted off the ground.