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19971017031499A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7EC · Galata, MT · October 17, 1997

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Date
October 17, 1997 · 15:00 local
Place
Galata, MT
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
CFOJT
Reported as
Bbavia 7EC
Fatal injuries
0

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.

New purchase. Struck a fence pole on takeoff. Possible downdraft a problem and short rwy. (.4) the pilot had just purchased the airplane in Canada and was ferrying it back to his home. After departing from an airport, he realized that the airplane was running low on fuel, so he performed a precautionary landing in a field. After fueling the airplane with 9 gallons of automotive gasoline from a nearby gas station, he decided to take off from the stubble field. He initiated the takeoff in a southbound direction approximately 790 feet from a barbed wire fence. After rolling 525 feet, he altered his takeoff direction to the southeast. The airplane became airborne about 130 feet from the fence. It then struck a post on the fence and proceeded to pull a barbed wire strand with it for approximately 50 feet. The strand held fast and yawed the aircraft left. The propeller impacted the ground approximately 70 feet southeast of the fence, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot also reported that the engine was 'fully firing' and that there were no perceived mechanical problems with the airplane during takeoff. He also stated that he should have taxied '...further back to increase margin of takeoff run.'

As the FAA filed it

NEW PURCHASE. STRUCK A FENCE POLE ON TAKEOFF. POSSIBLE DOWNDRAFT A PROBLEM AND SHORT RWY. (.4) THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE IN CANADA AND WAS FERRYING IT BACK TO HIS HOME. AFTER DEPARTING FROM AN AIRPORT, HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL, SO HE PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD. AFTER FUELING THE AIRPLANE WITH 9 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE FROM A NEARBY GAS STATION, HE DECIDED TO TAKE OFF FROM THE STUBBLE FIELD. HE INITIATED THE TAKEOFF IN A SOUTHBOUND DIRECTION APPROXIMATELY 790 FEET FROM A BARBED WIRE FENCE. AFTER ROLLING 525 FEET, HE ALTERED HIS TAKEOFF DIRECTION TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT 130 FEET FROM THE FENCE. IT THEN STRUCK A POST ON THE FENCE AND PROCEEDED TO PULL A BARBED WIRE STRAND WITH IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET. THE STRAND HELD FAST AND YAWED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT. THE PROPELLER IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE FENCE, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS 'FULLY FIRING' AND THAT THERE WERE NO PERCEIVED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE DURING TAKEOFF. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TAXIED '...FURTHER BACK TO INCREASE MARGIN OF TAKEOFF RUN.'