Overview
On 11 February 2001 at 1615Z, a Cessna R182, registration ZS-NXN, operated by a private owner, was involved in an incident during take-off at Henneman Aerodrome. The flight was a private flight intended for Kimberley. The aircraft carried one pilot and three passengers. No injuries were reported, and damage was limited to the propeller, a few scratch marks, and a broken VHF radio antenna.
Sequence of Events
The pilot, accompanied by three passengers, taxied to the holding point of runway 15. The pilot noted a track crossing the grass surface runway approximately one-third down the length of the runway from the threshold. Concerned that the undercarriage could be damaged during the take-off roll, the pilot taxied past the crossing and commenced the take-off roll from that point. At approximately 50 knots, the pilot decided to abort the take-off due to insufficient runway length available. The remaining runway length did not allow a safe stopping distance, and with glider activity in progress, the pilot opted to depart the runway to the left. This manoeuvre caused the aircraft to collide with the aerodrome fence. The aircraft came to a halt approximately 20 metres beyond the fence.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage limited to the propeller, a few scratch marks, and a broken VHF radio antenna. There were no injuries to the pilot or passengers.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as determined by the South African Civil Aviation Authority, states that while taking precautions against damaging the aircraft on the track across the runway, the pilot underestimated the required take-off distance. Had the pilot consulted the performance graphs in the aircraft’s flight manual, he would have realised that the runway length was insufficient for take-off under the given circumstances.