# Incident 20010517008369I: Pilats PC12, Fresno, CA, May 17, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 2001, 09:53 local time
- Place: Fresno, CA
- Airport: Fresno Yosemite International Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7766° N, 119.7188° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL (FAT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7766&lon=-119.7188&mi=10
- Aircraft: N82HR (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PILATS PC12
- Pilot flight hours: 10,150 total, 350 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010517008369I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA O^ PIC OF N82HR, A PC-12-45 WAS DISTRACTED DURING PREFLIGHT AND LEFT THE TOW BAR ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DEPARTED HARRIS RANCH AGRI-AIRPORT WITH THE TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED.  THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOTICE A STRANGE NOISE DURING TAKE OFF, BUT IT QUIT ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TAKE OFF RUN.  AFTER LIFT OFF THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RAISE THE GEAR, BUT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT FULLY RETRACT.  THE PILOT THEN REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO FAT INSTEAD OF HIS INTENDED DESTINATION OF SACRAMENTO, CA SO THAT HE COULD MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING.  THE PILOT SHUT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM DOWN AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER ON SHORT FINAL TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.  THE TOW BAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY FIRST AND WAS PUSHED REARWARD ALONG THE FUSELAGE BUT REMAINED ATTACHED.  THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS HELD OFF THE RUNWAY UNTIL LOSS OF AERODYNAMIC ELEVATOR CONTROL.  THE PILOT LET THE NOSE DOWN AND TOW OF THE PROPELLER BLADES IMPACTED THE RUNWAY.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE CENTER-LINE OF THE RUNWAY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE.

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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