What happened
On 9 May 2010, a Robin DR400/180 Regent, registration G-CBMT, was performing a private flight from Crowfield Airfield in Suffolk to Manston Airport in Kent. The weather conditions at the time of the incident were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km and a surface wind of 020º/14 kt.
During the takeoff roll on Runway 10, the pilot applied takeoff power and maintained the centerline. However, as the aircraft reached rotation speed, the left wing lifted abruptly, causing the right wingtip to make contact with the runway surface. Following this strike, the pilot reduced throttle, which caused the aircraft to settle back onto the runway. This movement resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and caused the propeller to strike the runway, subsequently stalling the engine. The loss of the nose gear led to a loss of directional control, and the aircraft veered toward the left side of the runway before coming to a halt.
The investigation
The investigation, prompted by the pilot's accident report, examined the sequence of events and the environmental conditions. The investigation established that the aircraft was operating within demonstrated crosswind limits, which were rated up to 24 kt, while the actual wind was 14 kt. The pilot noted that a sudden gust from the left side occurred precisely at the moment of lift-off, which he was unable to counteract, leading to the asymmetric lift.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the engine, propeller, nose landing gear, and the underside of the cowling.
- There were no injuries to the pilot.
- The primary cause of the wingtip strike was a gust of wind from the left occurring during the rotation phase of takeoff.