What happened
On 26 September 2002, a Rutan Long-EZ, registration G-LUKE, was involved in a ground incident at Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire. The pilot, who was performing his first flight in this recently purchased aircraft, had taxied the plane around the airfield to assess its ground handling characteristics before lining up for departure on Runway 25.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot observed that the aircraft was not accelerating as expected. With approximately 150 metres of runway remaining, the pilot determined there was insufficient distance to reach flying speed and initiated an aborted takeoff. While applying the brakes, the aircraft failed to remain on the paved surface and drifted approximately 30 metres into the grass overrun. As the aircraft transitioned onto the grass, the nose landing gear attachment casting failed, causing the gear leg to detach from the airframe. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the braking performance. Initial checks of the Lycoming O-235-L2C engine revealed no mechanical faults. The investigation also considered the thermal state of the braking system. The pilot suggested that the effectiveness of the brakes may have been reduced due to elevated temperatures resulting from an extended period of taxiing prior to the takeoff attempt.