What happened
On 15 October 2009, a Tecnam P2002-JF, registration G-CDTE, was performing solo circuit consolidation training at Old Sarum Airfield. The student pilot taxied to the holding point for the grass runway 06. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft experienced a sudden and violent swing to the left, despite the application of full right rudder.
As the aircraft veered off the runway, it crossed a road and struck two parked vehicles. The left wing of the aircraft made contact with the driver's door of a car, and the nose subsequently struck the rear right corner of a lorry. The impact caused the nose gear leg to collapse through deformation of the yoke, and the right wing became wedged under the side of the lorry. The pilot, who sustained no injuries, was able to vacate the aircraft safely.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the aircraft's damage and the tracks left on the ground. The pilot reported that he had been using a technique of holding the control column slightly aft of neutral to protect the nosewheel, a practice he had used during previous takeoffs. He noted that the aircraft's movement felt consistent with a mechanical failure rather than a progressive loss of control.
Investigators analyzed the tyre marks left in the grass. These marks were more pronounced for the nosewheel than for the main wheels, suggesting the nosewheel was skidding. The investigation also considered the possibility that the nosewheel leg had failed prior to the collision, though the deformation observed in the yoke was consistent with the impact sequence itself.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a sudden leftward deviation from the runway centerline during the takeoff roll.
- The pilot's technique of holding the control column aft of neutral may have caused the nosewheel to lift intermittently from the ground.
- The intermittent lifting of the nosewheel likely resulted in a loss of directional control, as the rudder becomes ineffective when the nosewheel is not in contact with the surface to assist in steering and stability.
- The tracks in the grass were consistent with a skidding nosewheel during the period of uncontrolled yaw.