What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 24, 2000, the pilot and passenger, on the aircraft Piper PA-28R-180, N3700T, departed from willits muni (O28), enroute to Tonopah (tph), landed ant topped off the fuel tanks on the aircraft. After fueling the aircraft they taxied to runway 33, where the pilot did a run up and found that all systems were normal. Continued taxiing the aircraft to the active runway at about 0930 am PDT. The wind was light and temperature was 70 to 75 degrees. On the take off roll at about 3800 ft. from the runway numbers, the pilot prematuerly pulled the aircraft off and the aircraft started settling whiel sill in ground effect. The pilot aborted the take off by nosing the aircraft over to prevent a stall. The aircraft dropped several feet impacting hard on runway, resulting in separting the left main gear truss assembly from the link assembly. The truss assembly wedged into the upper bulkhead, fixing the left main wheel to track at a 45 degree angle. On impact the right wing buckled at the top inboard skin assembly at the main spar, with buckling at the bottom skin outboard of the right main gear door. The left wing wrinkled at the top outboard of the right main gear door. The left bottom wing skin was wrinkled just outboard of the left main gear door. Pilot taxied the damaged aircraft to the requires tie down area, with no occupants injuried and no post fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 24, 2000, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, ON THE AIRCRAFT PIPER PA-28R-180, N3700T, DEPARTED FROM WILLITS MUNI (O28), ENROUTE TO TONOPAH (TPH), LANDED ANT TOPPED OFF THE FUEL TANKS ON THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER FUELING THE AIRCRAFT THEY TAXIED TO RUNWAY 33, WHERE THE PILOT DID A RUN UP AND FOUND THAT ALL SYSTEMS WERE NORMAL. CONTINUED TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 0930 AM PDT. THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE WAS 70 TO 75 DEGREES. ON THE TAKE OFF ROLL AT ABOUT 3800 FT. FROM THE RUNWAY NUMBERS, THE PILOT PREMATUERLY PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED SETTLING WHIEL SILL IN GROUND EFFECT. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKE OFF BY NOSING THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO PREVENT A STALL. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED SEVERAL FEET IMPACTING HARD ON RUNWAY, RESULTING IN SEPARTING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TRUSS ASSEMBLY FROM THE LINK ASSEMBLY. THE TRUSS ASSEMBLY WEDGED INTO THE UPPER BULKHEAD, FIXING THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TO TRACK AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. ON IMPACT THE RIGHT WING BUCKLED AT THE TOP INBOARD SKIN ASSEMBLY AT THE MAIN SPAR, WITH BUCKLING AT THE BOTTOM SKIN OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DOOR. THE LEFT WING WRINKLED AT THE TOP OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DOOR. THE LEFT BOTTOM WING SKIN WAS WRINKLED JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DOOR. PILOT TAXIED THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT TO THE REQUIRES TIE DOWN AREA, WITH NO OCCUPANTS INJURIED AND NO POST FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3700T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.