Mainair Blade 912S, G-CBVG, 28 September 2013
Mainair Blade 912S, G-CBVG
Summary:
The pilot reported that he began his takeoff roll on the 300-metre-long tarmac section of Runway 11 approximately two minutes after another aircraft had departed. The weather was very good with no wind. As his takeoff progressed, one sheep, followed by several more, jumped an adjacent fence and crossed the runway ahead of him. Although he had been just about to rotate, he aborted the takeoff, reducing power to idle and braking. The aircraft passed through the middle of the sheep, just missing them. The pilot realised that there was insufficient runway ahead in which to stop, so switched off the engine. The aircraft impacted a concrete roof truss which had been placed across the runway’s end. The pilot vacated the aircraft without difficulty, having suffered only minor injuries. A flying instructor reported that although sheep grazed the airfield, they generally stayed clear of aircraft, and had not been problematic. Nonetheless he understood that the landowner had subsequently decided not to keep sheep on the airfield, but to graze other livestock in enclosed areas instead.
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