What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On Tuesday dec 3, 2002 at 0612 am, Lear jet N546PA departed Astoria, OR airport on an IFR flight under part 91. The airport was VFR with a 3500 foot overcast and night conditions prevailed. The aircraft started to take-off role on runway 8 (5800 ft x 100 ft). As the aircraft was reaching vr (143 KTS) and 3000 ft remaining it struck an elk just outboard of the left wing root. According to the crew they could not see the elk before impact. The fuel cell was ruptured and misting fuel ignited as it sprayed back over the left engine and onto the runway. The aircraft nearly went off the left runway edge but the pilot was able to regain directional control and aborted the take-off. The aircraft rolled off the departure end of the runway 190 feet, the gear collapsed in the mud and came to rest (on fire) in a marsh area. The crew and two technicians had some difficulty opening the top half of the cabin door due to the brush. The pilot pulled both fire t handles and all exited the aircraft unhurt. Within moments the coast guard arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The aircraft, operated by the phoenix air group (1-800-334-5360) was on a mission for the canadian navy to test their electronic detection systems. The aircraft is certificated in the restricted category. Both pilots are trained and current under a part 135 certificate (espa). The aircraft take-off wt. Was 17,000LBS (18,300 max permissible). The aircraft was destroyed by fire. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON TUESDAY DEC 3, 2002 AT 0612 AM, LEAR JET N546PA DEPARTED ASTORIA, OR AIRPORT ON AN IFR FLIGHT UNDER PART 91. THE AIRPORT WAS VFR WITH A 3500 FOOT OVERCAST AND NIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO TAKE-OFF ROLE ON RUNWAY 8 (5800 FT X 100 FT). AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS REACHING VR (143 KTS) AND 3000 FT REMAINING IT STRUCK AN ELK JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT WING ROOT. ACCORDING TO THE CREW THEY COULD NOT SEE THE ELK BEFORE IMPACT. THE FUEL CELL WAS RUPTURED AND MISTING FUEL IGNITED AS IT SPRAYED BACK OVER THE LEFT ENGINE AND ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT NEARLY WENT OFF THE LEFT RUNWAY EDGE BUT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND ABORTED THE TAKE-OFF. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY 190 FEET, THE GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE MUD AND CAME TO REST (ON FIRE) IN A MARSH AREA. THE CREW AND TWO TECHNICIANS HAD SOME DIFFICULTY OPENING THE TOP HALF OF THE CABIN DOOR DUE TO THE BRUSH. THE PILOT PULLED BOTH FIRE T HANDLES AND ALL EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNHURT. WITHIN MOMENTS THE COAST GUARD ARRIVED ON SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY THE PHOENIX AIR GROUP (1-800-334-5360) WAS ON A MISSION FOR THE CANADIAN NAVY TO TEST THEIR ELECTRONIC DETECTION SYSTEMS. THE AIRCRAFT IS CERTIFICATED IN THE RESTRICTED CATEGORY. BOTH PILOTS ARE TRAINED AND CURRENT UNDER A PART 135 CERTIFICATE (ESPA). THE AIRCRAFT TAKE-OFF WT. WAS 17,000LBS (18,300 MAX PERMISSIBLE). THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.