19970224001849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtrru VARIEZE · Arlington, WA · February 24, 1997

Date
February 24, 1997 · 12:45 local
Place
Arlington, WA
Airport
Arlington Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N36P
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA97LA068
Reported as
Amtrru Varieze
Reported engine
Continental O200A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
132 total2 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) The pilot, who reported approximately 132 hours of flight experience of which one and three-quarters hour were in this make/model aircraft, intended to conduct high speed taxi tests of the aircraft, and then transition directly to a flight test. During the first taxi test run down the runway the pilot rotated and 'the aircraft lifted off rapidly and steeply.' The pilot reported that he was able to successfully re-land but felt that he had 'over-controlled' the aircraft.' After returning to the threshold of runway 34 he initiated a second taxi run down the runway and reported that 'just before I planned to shut down the engine it (the aircraft) lifted off just as abruptly as the first time at a very steep attitude, also higher than before, about 20 feet.' During the attempted recovery the aircraft struck the runway nose down and left wing low and slid to a stop. An observer to the accident located near an adjacent taxiway reported a wind gust coincident with the time of the second nose rotation. Winds at the Arlington airport were reported as 300 degrees magnetic at 10 knots at 1253 hours.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE PILOT, WHO REPORTED APPROXIMATELY 132 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE OF WHICH ONE AND THREE-QUARTERS HOUR WERE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL AIRCRAFT, INTENDED TO CONDUCT HIGH SPEED TAXI TESTS OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THEN TRANSITION DIRECTLY TO A FLIGHT TEST. DURING THE FIRST TAXI TEST RUN DOWN THE RUNWAY THE PILOT ROTATED AND 'THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF RAPIDLY AND STEEPLY.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RE-LAND BUT FELT THAT HE HAD 'OVER-CONTROLLED' THE AIRCRAFT.' AFTER RETURNING TO THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 34 HE INITIATED A SECOND TAXI RUN DOWN THE RUNWAY AND REPORTED THAT 'JUST BEFORE I PLANNED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE IT (THE AIRCRAFT) LIFTED OFF JUST AS ABRUPTLY AS THE FIRST TIME AT A VERY STEEP ATTITUDE, ALSO HIGHER THAN BEFORE, ABOUT 20 FEET.' DURING THE ATTEMPTED RECOVERY THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY NOSE DOWN AND LEFT WING LOW AND SLID TO A STOP. AN OBSERVER TO THE ACCIDENT LOCATED NEAR AN ADJACENT TAXIWAY REPORTED A WIND GUST COINCIDENT WITH THE TIME OF THE SECOND NOSE ROTATION. WINDS AT THE ARLINGTON AIRPORT WERE REPORTED AS 300 DEGREES MAGNETIC AT 10 KNOTS AT 1253 HOURS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.