AAIB investigation to Denney Kitfox Mk 2, G-BSCG
Loss of engine power and aircraft stalled on takeoff, Blackshawhead West Yorkshire, 13 June 2014.
Summary:
The pilot reported that the aircraft had not flown for several months during which the fuel tanks had been drained and left empty. Approximately two weeks prior to the accident the aircraft had been refuelled with fresh fuel to enable engine ground runs to be carried out to check the performance of a new propeller. The engine performed satisfactorily. No defects were reported during the annual inspection for the revalidation of the Permit to Fly, which was carried out the day prior to the accident.
On the day of the accident the wind was described as light, the temperature and dew point were reported as 20ºC and 15ºC and the grass runway was damp. The aircraft was refuelled and a sample of fuel taken from the aircraft fuel strainer appeared to be normal. The engine power checks were satisfactory.
The aircraft accelerated normally along the runway and reached a height of approximately 9 feet when the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot reported that the aircraft immediately stalled and the right wing struck the ground pitching the aircraft onto its nose. The pilot who was wearing a four-point harness was uninjured. The cause of the loss of power was not established.
The pilot flew on average 20 hours a year and had last flown approximately six months prior to the accident flight.
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