Incident Overview

Date: Friday 14 June 2002
Aircraft Type: Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander
Owner/operator: Copenhagen Air Taxi
Registration Number: OY-CFV
Location: Anholt – ÿ Denmark
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Component Affected: Elevator trimElevator trim
Investigating Agency: HCLHCL
Category: Accident
On a return flight from Roskilde Airport (RKE) to L‘s? Airport (BYR) via Anholt, the pilot initiated a takeoff with a tailwind component. However, the elevator trim was set to a 1.5-unit nose down position, despite the wind being a tailwind and close to the maximum. During takeoff, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled nose dive, resulting in it impacting terrain after the runway end. The pilot attempted a second rotation to regain control, but this resulted in the aircraft stalling and subsequently impacting a sand dune.On a return flight from Roskilde Airport (RKE) to L‘s? Airport (BYR) via Anholt, the pilot initiated a takeoff with a tailwind component. However, the elevator trim was set to a 1.5-unit nose down position, despite the wind being a tailwind and close to the maximum. During takeoff, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled nose dive, resulting in it impacting terrain after the runway end. The pilot attempted a second rotation to regain control, but this resulted in the aircraft stalling and subsequently impacting a sand dune.

Description

The BN-2B Islander operated on a return flight from Roskilde Airport (RKE) to L‘s? Airport (BYR) via Anholt. The return part of the flight was uneventful up to the landing at Anholt. After landing the elevator trim was not set to neutral and remained at a 1.5 unit nose down setting which had been used for landing. The pilot did not visit the airport office to obtain wind information. Instead he assessed the wind was across the runway and taxied for a runway 03 departure. In fact the current wind was a tailwind component, which was close to the maximum. On takeoff the pilot tried to raise the nose but during this rotation the aircraft nose dived uncontrolled back on runway again. He attempted a second time with the same result. At this point the pilot considered that it was not possible to stop the aircraft within runway limitations. A third rotation was initiated, whereby the aircraft was in the air immediately after the runway end, while the aircraft stall warning horn activated. The captain lowered the nose of the aircraft to build up airspeed and to avoid a stall. During this maneuver the right main undercarriage struck a sand dune with shrubs, and the airplane impacted terrain. FAKTORER 1. Luftfart?jets h?jderorstrim var ikke korrekt konfigureret til neutral. 2. Fart?jschefen afbr?d ikke starten efter den f?rste rotation, hvor luftfart?jet ikke reagerede normalt p† h?jderors kommandoen. 3. Starten blev foretaget med en medvindskomponent, som var t‘t p† den maksimale tilladte. FACTORS (unofficial translation from Danish) 1. Aircraft trim was not correctly configured to neutral. 2. The commander did not abort the takeoff after the first attempted rotation, when the aircraft did not respond normally to elevator command. 3. The start was made with a tailwind component, which was close to the maximum.

Primary Cause

Incorrect elevator trim setting during takeoff, leading to an uncontrolled nose dive.Incorrect elevator trim setting during takeoff, leading to an uncontrolled nose dive.

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