# Accident 19970224001849A: Amtrru VARIEZE, Arlington, WA, February 24, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 24, 1997, 12:45 local time
- Place: Arlington, WA
- Airport: Arlington Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.1798° N, 121.6709° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1798&lon=-121.6709&mi=10
- Aircraft: N36P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N36P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hemingway James R VARIEZE (registry code 05626FR, https://openairdocs.org/model/hemingway-james-r-varieze) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTRRU VARIEZE
- Reported engine: CONT O200A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 132 total, 2 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97LA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA068) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970224001849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA97LA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA068), Feb 24, 1997: Hemingway Varieze (N36P), Arlington, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of total experience in the type of aircraft and the gusty wind conditions.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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