AAIB investigation to EV-97 Teameurostar UK, G-CEHL
Stalled on takeoff at Gloucester Airport 14 February 2016.
Summary:
The pilot was taking off from Runway 04 for a local flight. The wind was 050°/14 kt, gusting up to 20 kt. The aircraft was configured with takeoff trim and flaps and full power was applied. It started to lift off at a speed between 55 and 60 mph, but the pilot maintained a flat attitude to gain airspeed. At a height of 20 to 30 ft, the aircraft pitched nose-down suddenly and the nosewheel struck the runway. It bounced back into the air in a nose-high attitude, which the pilot tried to correct by checking forwards on the control column and maintaining full power. This was repeated twice more but, on the third bounce, the aircraft veered to the left off the runway and, on the fourth, the NLG collapsed. It came to a halt on the grass with no injury to the pilot.
The pilot discussed the incident with his Chief Flying Instructor who, although not having witnessed the event, considered that the pilot had probably stalled the aircraft when just out of ground effect. He thought that he had taken off at too low an airspeed for the gusty wind conditions.
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