What happened
On August 19, 2001, a Reims F152 single-engine propeller aircraft, registered PH-VSN, was conducting a local training flight from Hoogeveen Aerodrome. The flight crew consisted of an instructor and a student pilot. During the takeoff roll, the student pilot configured 10 degrees of flaps and rotated the aircraft at a speed between 55 and 60 knots.
Immediately after liftoff, at an altitude of approximately 10 meters, the aircraft failed to climb or accelerate, and the controls felt "soft." The instructor took control and decided to abort the takeoff, attempting to land on the remaining runway surface. After reducing power and selecting full flaps, the crew successfully touched down; however, the aircraft's high speed prevented it from stopping before the end of the runway. The aircraft struck the perimeter fencing and overturned, resulting in no injuries but causing significant damage to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight conditions and the aircraft's performance during the critical takeoff phase. The instructor noted a sensation of encountering "downwash" during the climb failure. Investigators looked into the impact of the nearby industrial area south of the aerodrome, which is known to generate turbulence and wind eddies due to large buildings. While such turbulence can cause an aircraft to approach its stall speed—leading to the reported soft control feel—the wind speed of 7 to 10 knots from the left-front was not considered high enough for turbulence to be the primary factor.
Findings
- The specific cause for the lack of climb performance and acceleration could not be definitively determined.
- All operational parameters, including takeoff weight, rotation speed, and crosswind components, were within manual limits.
- The investigation identified that tail-heavy trim configurations combined with insufficient pilot correction could lead to the aircraft operating near its stall speed.
- The decision to abort the takeoff was made too late, as the aircraft had already gained too much momentum to stop before reaching the runway boundary.