Pilot crashed at Cranfield after container blocked control stick

A pilot was seriously injured in a crash shortly after take-off because a container of de-icing fluid was blocking the control stick.

The DA 40 NG, a four-seat single-engine aircraft, was only in the air for about 12 seconds at Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire before it crashed.

Four other unsecured containers also affected the plane's centre of gravity.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the organisation the pilot worked for had "begun safety actions".

According to the AAIB's report into the crash on 12 December 2020, an unsecured de-icing fluid container was placed in the front right footwell, along with four others on seats and in the rear footwell.

This meant the plane was near its maximum permitted take-off weight, but it was felt the pilot was experienced enough to cope with this, the report said.

About five seconds after take-off, the right wing was seen to drop and be recovered, followed immediately by the left wing dropping.

The aircraft then descended from a height of about 100-200ft (30-61m), hitting the ground to the side of the runway.

The pilot sustained serious injuries including memory loss, meaning he could not remember the flight, and he was flown by air ambulance to hospital, the AAIB said.

According to the report, the container at the front meant the control stick could not be moved fully forward to "properly control the aircraft and avoid stalling".

It said this restriction, the weight and "aft centre of gravity limit" caused the accident.

The report said the pilot's employer had made a number of recommendations from its own investigation, which it was implementing.

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