What happened
On Monday, August 24, 1998, at 13:50, a Robin DR 400-120, registered F-GAEK, was involved in a runway excursion at Vannes aerodrome. The aircraft, operated by a flying club, was being flown solo by a trainee pilot on his second solo cross-country flight.
Following a previous landing at the aerodrome, the pilot had waited three hours for weather conditions to improve before attempting a departure. During the takeoff roll, approximately 250 meters after applying full power, the aircraft drifted to the left. The deviation resulted in the aircraft striking a light beacon and exiting the paved runway (04), where it eventually came to a stop. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the takeoff roll and the pilot's actions. The pilot reported a sensation that the aircraft was not accelerating correctly. Upon checking the tachometer, which indicated 2500 rpm, the pilot realized the aircraft had drifted from the centerline and was unable to prevent the excursion.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was distracted attention.
- The pilot's focus shifted from maintaining the runway centerline to monitoring the engine tachometer during a critical phase of the takeoff roll.
- The aircraft sustained damage to one propeller blade and one light beacon.