What happened
On May 21, 2003, a Boeing 737-800, registration OK-TVA, was performing a scheduled flight from Hurghada Airport, Egypt, to Prague via Sharm El-Sheikh. During the takeoff roll on runway 16, the crew applied Takeoff/Go-Around (TO-GA) power. Immediately following this power increase, the aircraft experienced a sudden, extreme pitch-up motion. The pilot was unable to correct the rotation using the elevator.
To prevent a more serious accident, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, which allowed the nose to descend back to the runway surface. The pilot declared a rejected takeoff, and the aircraft vacated the runway. During the subsequent taxi, the pilot noticed damage to the tail cone, which had partially retracted into the fuselage. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers, and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation focused on the discrepancy between the aircraft's actual weight distribution and the documented loadsheet. The investigation established that while the pilot had received a loadsheet from the ground handling agent specifying that passengers should be seated in the middle section of the aircraft, the actual seating arrangement followed the boarding passes, which placed passengers in the rear of the aircraft.
Furthermore, the investigation found that the cabin crew's copy of the loadsheet lacked specific passenger seating information, preventing the crew from verifying that the actual distribution matched the required weight and balance parameters. An inspection of the aircraft in Prague confirmed a 2.4-meter area of damage to the rear fuselage skin, consistent with the tail striking the runway.
Findings
- The actual passenger distribution did not match the instructions provided in the handling company's loadsheet.
- The incorrect distribution of passengers caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable during the takeoff roll.
- The primary cause of the incident was the issuance of boarding passes that were inconsistent with the official loadsheet.
- A contributing factor was the lack of sufficient information available to the cabin crew to verify the passenger arrangement against the loadsheet requirements.