Event Details


Title:Uncommanded pitch-up, Airbus A320-214, G-OOAR
Micro summary:This Airbus A320-214 experienced an uncommanded pitch-up.
Event Time:2002-10-27 at 1200 UTC
File Name:2002-10-27-UK.pdf
Publishing Agency:Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB)
Publishing Country:United Kingdom
Report number:EW/G2002/10/21
Pages:6
Site of event:Takeoff, Kefallinia
Departure:Kefalonia Island International Airport, Kefallinia, Greece
Destination:Zakynthos International Airport, Zakinthos, Greece
Airplane Type(s):Airbus A320-214
Flight Phase:Takeoff
Registration(s):G-OOAR
Operator(s):First Choice Airways
Type of flight:Revenue
Occupants:76
Fatalities:0
Serious Injuries:0
Minor/Non-Injured:76
Other Injuries:0
Executive Summary:Having lined up on the runway for takeoff, the commander advanced the thrust levers to 50% N1 while holding the aircraft against the brakes. Once the engine parameters had stabilised he released the brakes and advanced the thrust levers to the take-off position. As the aircraft started its take-off roll the nose pitched up rapidly. The commander reduced the thrust to idle immediately and applied forward side-stick and gentle braking to encourage the aircraft to pitch back down, which it did promptly. The aircraft had very little forward speed and was quickly brought to a halt on the runway. Having liaised with the cabin crew, and made an announcement to reassure the passengers, the commander taxied the aircraft slowly back on to the stand whence it had just departed. There were no injuries; however, one of the cabin crew seated at the rear of the cabin had heard a scraping noise after the aircraft had pitched up. On investigation the flight crew discovered that all the passengers were seated aft of row 13, which was significantly different from the distribution shown on the Load Form and Trim Sheet. These forms indicated that the passengers had been spread evenly through the cabin.

An examination of the underneath of the tail of the aircraft revealed that the rear galley drain mast had been damaged. While conducting this external check, the first officer (FO) also saw that the nose oleo was very noticeably extended, which suggested a possible problem with the position of the CG.
Learning Keywords:Operations - Center of Gravity/MAC
Operations - Loading
Operations - Rejected Takeoff before V1
Operations - Tailstrike
Operations - Upset - Uncommanded or excessive Pitch
Consequence - Damage - Airframe or fuselage
Close match:Tail strike during take-off, Boeing 747-412 9V-SMT, flight SQ286, Auckland International Airport 12 March 2003
Tailstrike on takeoff, Serious incident occurring on November 29, 2002 at Dortmund Airport involving a Boeing 737-800
Uncommanded rotation, Incident involving aircraft LN-RPL at Gothenburg/Landvetter Airport, O county, Sweden, on 7 December 2003
Loading error, Airbus A340-642, G-VSHY
Tail strike on rotation, Boeing 777-200B, N784UA
Uncommanded pitch-up, Fokker F27-600 Friendship, G-CHNL
Loss of Pitch Control During Takeoff, Air Midwest Flight 5481, Raytheon (Beechcraft) 1900D, N233YV, Charlotte, North Carolina, January 8, 2003
Stall on takeoff, Bombardier CL-600-2B16 (CL-604), C-FTBZ , Mid-Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas, October 10, 2000
Uncontrolled Impact With Terrain, Fine Airlines Flight 101, Douglas DC-8-61, N27UA, Miami, Florida, August 7, 1997
Loss of control on takeoff, United Airlines Flight 2885, N8053U, McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F, Detroit, Michigan, January 11, 1983
Weight and Balance complications, McDonnell Douglas MD-83, March 7, 2000
Tail strike on takeoff, Boeing 747-128, December 28, 2001
Tail strike on landing from FMS error, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, November 11, 1998
Runway overrun, Airbus A320, Detroit, March 17, 2001
Runway overrun Onur Air, Runway overrun after rejected take-off of the Onur Air MD-88, registration TC-ONP, at Groningen Airport Eelde on 17 June 2003

 




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