What happened
On April 24, 2003, a Piper PA-28-161, registration PH-SVO, was performing a return flight from Rotterdam to Midden-Zeeland airport. During the takeoff roll on runway 09, the pilot encountered strong crosswinds from the north, measured at approximately 10 to 15 knots. As the aircraft approached rotation speed, the nose drifted sharply to the left. The pilot attempted to correct this lateral movement using right rudder, but was unable to maintain the centerline and subsequently aborted the takeoff.
Following the aborted takeoff, the aircraft veered left of the runway. The left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft slid through a ditch, causing the nose wheel and left main gear to collapse. The aircraft then crossed a public road before coming to a halt in a field ditch. While there were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, the aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the environmental conditions and the aircraft's path of travel. The area north of the Midden-Zeeland runway is characterized by buildings situated 50 to 60 meters from the runway edge. The investigation focused on how these structures might influence wind patterns, specifically through wind rolling over buildings and velocity fluctuations caused by the alternating pattern of structures and open spaces.
Physical evidence from the propeller, which showed forward bending, indicated that the engine was still producing power at the moment of the initial impact with the ground. The investigation also looked into the pilot's control inputs and whether the wind exceeded the aircraft's demonstrated crosswind limits.