Fairchild SA227 AC Metro III, EC-JCU, 10 October 2006
Fairchild SA227 AC Metro III, EC-JCU
Summary:
The lightly loaded aircraft commenced the takeoff with its centre of gravity towards the forward end of the permitted range; the co-pilot was the handling pilot. The aircraft did not respond as expected when he attempted to rotate the aircraft and he handed control to the commander. The commander aborted the takeoff and the aircraft over-ran the paved surface of the runway on to an area of grass stubble. The investigation found no technical fault that could have contributed to the apparent control problem. Experience had shown that, for this type of aircraft, a large aft control column movement is required during rotation when the centre of gravity is close to the forward limit. Although there was nothing in either pilots’ training records that could have had a bearing on this event, the crew was relatively inexperienced and it was considered that this was a factor in the incident. The aircraft has subsequently carried out a number of uneventful takeoffs and responded normally to control inputs. One Safety Recommendation is made with regards to the flight data recording system.
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