What happened
On 18 September 2003, a Beech 95-B55, registration ZS-KCP, was conducting a commercial charter flight from Satara Aerodrome to Singhita. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and two passengers. During the initial stages of the take-off roll, the pilot observed that the airspeed indicator (ASI) appeared to be stuck at 80 knots indicated airspeed.
Due to this perceived instrument failure, the pilot decided to abort the take-off. As the aircraft reached the end of the runway, it was maneuvered at approximately 20 knots onto an adjacent service road. During this maneuver, the left wing tip struck a tree branch roughly ten meters before the aircraft came to a complete stop. The pilot did not immediately realize that the wing tip had been damaged. After a subsequent inspection of the pitot tube, the aircraft departed again and completed its flight to Singhita without further incident. The damage to the wing tip was only discovered after the passengers had disembarked at the destination.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cause of the airspeed indicator malfunction and the subsequent contact with the tree branch. Investigators reviewed the maintenance history of the aircraft, noting that the last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) had been completed on 18 August 2003. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had flown 30.1 hours since that inspection. The maintenance organization responsible for the MPI held valid approval, and no significant deficiencies were identified during recent CAA audits.
Findings
- The primary reason for the aborted take-off was the apparent failure of the airspeed indicator to respond to changes in airspeed.
- The investigation identified two potential causes for the pitot tube malfunction: the failure to remove the pitot cover prior to flight or an obstruction caused by insects.
- The aircraft sustained minor damage to the left wing tip following contact with a tree branch during the aborted take-off maneuver.
- There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries resulting from the incident.