A Swearingen SA. 227AC Metro III, with a crew of 2, was to operate a positioning from Buenos Aires/Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport to Buenos Aires-Jorge Newbery Airport (Argentina). As the aircraft had undergone some maintenance, including a fresh coat of paint, the crew planned to complete several checks on the aircraft systems and equipment during the flight.
The aircraft in its final position (Source baaa-acro.com © unknown)
It was a warm day with a temperature of 28ºC and a north-easterly wind (050º at 11 knots. Visibility was great at 10 kilometres with some cumulus clouds at 4500 feet, with an altimeter setting of 1013.4 hPa.
After completing the required preflight procedures and checklists, both the Garrett TPE331-11U-611G engines were started. ATC cleared the aircraft to taxi to runway 17. The aircraft lined up on the threshold of runway 17 and started its take-off roll after receiving its take-off clearance.
After an uneventful take-off roll, the aircraft got airborne and the gear was selected up shortly after getting airborne. although the climb gradient was small the left wing stalled and struck the runway. The crew could not regain control and the aircraft slammed into the runway and slid down the runway until it left the paved area of the runway. Coming to a rest in a field. Both crew members were uninjured, the aircraft faired less well. Damage to the aircraft was so extensive that it was classed as damaged beyond repair.
The aircraft in its final position (Source baaa-acro.com © unknown)
An investigation into the accident was launched by the Junta de Investigaciones de Accidentes de Aviación Civil (Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Board) according to ICAO Annex 13. During the investigation, both the CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) and FDR (Flight Data Recorder) were analysed. The FDR was inoperable, and according to the state it was found in, it had not been working for a while. The CVR recorded the incident flight and during the analysis, it became apparent that the commander, prior to take off, elected to switch the Stall Warning System off. The investigators could not establish a reason as to why the Stall Warning System was switched off.
The investigation report listed, amongst others, the following findings;
The landing gear was retracted at a very low altitude
The second take-off segment was flown with a very low initial climb gradient
While still in ground effect, the retraction of the landing gear caused an aerodynamic change, leading to a roll to the left which could not be corrected by the crew
After evacuating the aircraft the commander returned to the cockpit to (as he stated) check the electrical and fuel system controls. He could have altered the command or control positions.
The aircraft in its final position (Source baaa-acro.com © unknown)
After going through all the evidence the Investigation Board concluded that the cause of the accident was;
"During a ferry flight, in the takeoff phase, the left wing tip impacted the runway, resulting in a loss of control. Resulting in the aircraft falling back onto the runway. This was a result of a premature retraction of the landing gear and performing a takeoff with a low climb gradient in the second segment"
The Investigation Report, which served as the source for this blog, can be accessed by clicking on the .pdf file below;
** Editorial note **
V2 Aviation - Training & Maintenance has not been able to obtain an investigation report in English on this accident. This blog is therefore based on a translation of the original report. Should there be inconsistencies in the blog don't hesitate to get in touch with us. There are two possibilities to do that, via the comments function at the bottom of this page or via the contact page of the website.
The plane had been fully reconstructed. Including flight command change. During the accident, he was facing the reversed cables, which caused the accident.