19980517009799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-1C · Manhattan, KS · May 17, 1998

Date
May 17, 1998 · 14:30 local
Place
Manhattan, KS
Airport
Manhattan Municipal
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9540U
Reported as
Amrgen AA1C
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,175 total143 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

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.

Aircraft would not climb due density altitude. Turned to avoid obstacles and sank to ground. Flipped over. (-23) after takeoff from Manhattan, Kansas airport, aircraft would not climb. The pilot turned right to avoid obstacles, which resulted in sinking toground. Impact was in freshly plowed, soft dirt and aircraft flipped over. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries and the aircraft suffered substantial damage. (.4) the pilot reported the airplane was 5 to 7 pounds below the maximum gross takeoff weight of 1,600 pounds. The pilot reported that the tower stated the 'winds between runways 13 and 21, but favoring runway 13, winds 17 KTS w/gusts to 26 KTS.' The pilot aborted the first takeoff because the airplane was skipping sideways. The pilot reported the second takeoff was normal, but at 100 feet AGL, '...there appeared to be a loss of power with a resultant loss of climb to [a] negative rate.' He reported that due to obstructions, the only option was to make a slight turn to the right. He reported that he maintained full throttle until touchdown. He reported the airplane landed level, but the nose wheel dug into the plowed field that resulted in the airplane nosing over. The airport elevation was 1,056 feet and the density altitude was 3,140 feet. The surface observation at 1454 was: winds 180 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 26 knots with peak winds 170 degrees at 31 knots. Runway 13 is 3,800 feet long. Runway 21 is 7,000 feet long. The pilot reported, '...I should have taken off on the longer runway.'

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB DUE DENSITY ALTITUDE. TURNED TO AVOID OBSTACLES AND SANK TO GROUND. FLIPPED OVER. (-23) AFTER TAKEOFF FROM MANHATTAN, KANSAS AIRPORT, AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB. THE PILOT TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID OBSTACLES, WHICH RESULTED IN SINKING TOGROUND. IMPACT WAS IN FRESHLY PLOWED, SOFT DIRT AND AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS 5 TO 7 POUNDS BELOW THE MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF 1,600 POUNDS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE TOWER STATED THE 'WINDS BETWEEN RUNWAYS 13 AND 21, BUT FAVORING RUNWAY 13, WINDS 17 KTS W/GUSTS TO 26 KTS.' THE PILOT ABORTED THE FIRST TAKEOFF BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE WAS SKIPPING SIDEWAYS. THE PILOT REPORTED THE SECOND TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL, BUT AT 100 FEET AGL, '...THERE APPEARED TO BE A LOSS OF POWER WITH A RESULTANT LOSS OF CLIMB TO [A] NEGATIVE RATE.' HE REPORTED THAT DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS, THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO MAKE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE RIGHT. HE REPORTED THAT HE MAINTAINED FULL THROTTLE UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. HE REPORTED THE AIRPLANE LANDED LEVEL, BUT THE NOSE WHEEL DUG INTO THE PLOWED FIELD THAT RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE NOSING OVER. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 1,056 FEET AND THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 3,140 FEET. THE SURFACE OBSERVATION AT 1454 WAS: WINDS 180 DEGREES AT 20 KNOTS GUSTING TO 26 KNOTS WITH PEAK WINDS 170 DEGREES AT 31 KNOTS. RUNWAY 13 IS 3,800 FEET LONG. RUNWAY 21 IS 7,000 FEET LONG. THE PILOT REPORTED, '...I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF ON THE LONGER RUNWAY.'