What happened
On 9 September 2012, a Savannah VG Jabiru, registration G-CFKV, was performing a private flight from a private airstrip located approximately 5 nautical miles south of Newark, Nottinghamshire. The weather conditions were fine, with a light south-south-undwestly wind of 4 to 5 knots. The airstrip was oriented east-west, and the pilot intended to take off towards the west.
As the aircraft became airborne at the standard lift-off speed of 40 mph, it began a climb to an altitude of approximately 10 feet. During this initial climb, the aircraft began to roll gently to the left. The pilot observed the aircraft reaching a bank angle of 40 degrees, at which point it became apparent that the aircraft would not clear a line of trees situated to the left of the runway. The pilot subsequently closed the throttle and performed a landing on the rough ground. The impact caused damage to the wings, fuselage, cockpit, and undercarriage. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot, examined the flight parameters and environmental factors. The investigation looked into the aircraft's performance during the climb and the impact of wind conditions on the flight path. The investigation established that the aircraft's climb ceased almost immediately after reaching 10 feet, leading to the loss of altitude and subsequent contact with the ground.