What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While attempting to land airplane hit ground short of runway. Block 18;20;29;31;32;42;43 are incomplete and an amended report will be filed. (-23 amendment) pilot and his passenger (son) landed at an unimproved dirt strip in southern Utah for recreation. After a few minutes of looking around they decided to take-off. The strip was very rough and in poor condition creating unanticipated drag which significantly increased the take-off distance. Pilot stated that just prior to rotation he went over a small dirt bump which prematurely made the aircraft go airborne. By the time this occurred there was not enough runway remaining to settle back to the runway to gain more airspeed. The runway ran uphill and before the pilot could gain adequate airspeed and lift the aircraft settled into some small trees and crashed. The winds in the area were gusty and the direction was variable. The take-off uphill was into the wind at first but the pilot stated it switched to perhaps a tailwind. The wind and condition of the dirt strip combined to make the take-off end as an accident. The helcopter pilot who arrived within a couple of hours of the accident stated the winds in the area that day were very gusty and constantly switching directions. Due to the pilots extensive backcountry airstrip experience without prior accidents it was decided counseling was appropriate action.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AIRPLANE HIT GROUND SHORT OF RUNWAY. BLOCK 18;20;29;31;32;42;43 ARE INCOMPLETE AND AN AMENDED REPORT WILL BE FILED. (-23 AMENDMENT) PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER (SON) LANDED AT AN UNIMPROVED DIRT STRIP IN SOUTHERN UTAH FOR RECREATION. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF LOOKING AROUND THEY DECIDED TO TAKE-OFF. THE STRIP WAS VERY ROUGH AND IN POOR CONDITION CREATING UNANTICIPATED DRAG WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THE TAKE-OFF DISTANCE. PILOT STATED THAT JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION HE WENT OVER A SMALL DIRT BUMP WHICH PREMATURELY MADE THE AIRCRAFT GO AIRBORNE. BY THE TIME THIS OCCURRED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RUNWAY REMAINING TO SETTLE BACK TO THE RUNWAY TO GAIN MORE AIRSPEED. THE RUNWAY RAN UPHILL AND BEFORE THE PILOT COULD GAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND LIFT THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO SOME SMALL TREES AND CRASHED. THE WINDS IN THE AREA WERE GUSTY AND THE DIRECTION WAS VARIABLE. THE TAKE-OFF UPHILL WAS INTO THE WIND AT FIRST BUT THE PILOT STATED IT SWITCHED TO PERHAPS A TAILWIND. THE WIND AND CONDITION OF THE DIRT STRIP COMBINED TO MAKE THE TAKE-OFF END AS AN ACCIDENT. THE HELCOPTER PILOT WHO ARRIVED WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE ACCIDENT STATED THE WINDS IN THE AREA THAT DAY WERE VERY GUSTY AND CONSTANTLY SWITCHING DIRECTIONS. DUE TO THE PILOTS EXTENSIVE BACKCOUNTRY AIRSTRIP EXPERIENCE WITHOUT PRIOR ACCIDENTS IT WAS DECIDED COUNSELING WAS APPROPRIATE ACTION.
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 N400DH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.