Introduction
On 24 August 2013, a Rockwell International Commander 112 aircraft, registration OK-VYS, was involved in an accident during takeoff from Šumperk Airport (LKSU). The aircraft was operated by Air Jihlava – service s.r.o. The accident was investigated by the Czech Accident Investigation Institute (ÚZPLN).
Flight History
The pilot had flown from Jihlava Airport (LKJI) to Šumperk earlier that day with one passenger. After landing, the pilot met two additional passengers and planned a local flight to assess their comfort. The aircraft had approximately 100 liters of fuel. For the departure, the pilot employed a short takeoff technique with flaps set to 20°, full brakes, and maximum engine power before release.
At 10:40:30 UTC, the takeoff roll began. The pilot reported liftoff at about 60 knots indicated airspeed, slightly earlier than normal. Immediately after, he perceived a sudden strong gust from the right side, which he described as pushing the aircraft back toward the ground. He lowered the nose to gain speed and likely retracted the flaps. The aircraft continued down the runway, crossed the end of Runway 36, and touched down in a cultivated field approximately 114 meters beyond the runway threshold.
The aircraft then struck a shallow ditch at the edge of a road, crossed the road, and continued into a rolled field, rotating about 140° left before coming to a stop. The nose and main landing gear broke away, and the left wing was severely damaged. There were no injuries to the pilot or three passengers.
Aircraft Information
The Commander 112 is a single-engine, low-wing, all-metal monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was manufactured in 1974 and had a total airframe time of 1,163 hours and 16 minutes as of the accident. The engine was an Avco Lycoming IO-360-CID6 with a Hartzell propeller. The aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness. Weight calculations provided by the pilot indicated a takeoff weight of approximately 2,600 lbs, within the maximum takeoff weight of 2,650 lbs.
Meteorological Information
The weather at the time was reported as CAVOK by the airport's AFIS. Surface wind was from 060° to 110° at 8 to 12 knots, with occasional gusts up to 21 knots. The temperature at 2,000 ft was 16°C. No significant turbulence was reported.
Airport Information
Šumperk Airport is located 3.5 km east of Šumperk. Runway 36 is 700 m long and 100 m wide, with a grassy surface. The terrain beyond the runway drops significantly toward a road leading to the village of Hraběšice.
Conclusions
The investigation did not identify a single probable cause. The pilot's actions and environmental conditions were examined, but no explicit causal statement was provided in the report.