20041029027079I

(-23) ON OR ABOUT 2230Z ON 10/29/2004, AFTER MAKING AN UNEVENTFUL, FULL STOP LANDING AT CLINE FALLS OREGON AIRPORT (PRIVATELY OWNED AND MAINTAINED), THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DRAINAGE DITCH TO THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OR PROPELLER. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SOME RESIDENTS OF THE CLINE FALLS AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE DITCH. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PERFORMED AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE FOR FLIGHT. NOTE: THE PILOT DOES NOT HOLD ANY TYPE OF MECHANICS CERTIFICATION AND NO REQUEST WAS MADE FOR A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT TO FERRY THE AIRCRAFT TO KRDM, APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES EAST OF CLINE FALLS. AFTER ARRIVING AT KRDM, THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO BUTLER AVIATION FOR INSPECTION. AT THIS TIME THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE FAA (SEA ROC). THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED LATER THAT EVENING. MR. HENDRIX WAS CONTACTED, BY THIS OFFICE ON 11/1/2004 AND PROVIDED HIS INITIAL COMMENTS ON THE INCIDENT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD OPERATED FROM CLINE FALLS AIRPORT ON MANY OCCASIONS, BUT WAS UNAWARE OF THE DITCH. THIS INSPECTOR CONTACTED BUTLER AVIATION AND WAS INFORMED THAT AN INSPECTION REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. AS MR. HENDRIX HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN ANOTHER OCCURRENCE, IN THE SAME AIRCRAFT, AT KRDM, THE DAY BEFORE, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SO AN ON-SITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS INSPECTOR TRAVELED TO KRDM AND PERFORMED A DAMAGE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. A SMALL WRINKLE WAS FOUND IN THE FUSELAGE SKIN AT THE LOWER AFT CORNER OF THE LEFT HAND FORWARD DOOR FRAME. AN INSPECTION OF THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE SHOWED NO EVIDENC OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT HAND FORWARD DOOR DID NOT ALIGN WITH THE DOOR FRAME PROPERLY AND AS A RESULT THE DOOR DID NOT CLOSE AND LATCH PROPERLY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE DOOR HAD BEEN THAT WAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THAT THE REPAIR PARTS (CRACKED LOWER DOOR HINGE) HAD BEEN ORDERED. NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WERE FOUND ON THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER LEAVING BUTLER AVIATION THIS INSPECTOR TRAVELED TO CLINE FALLS AIRPORT TO VIEW THE INCIDENT SCENE. THE AIRPORT CONSISTS OF AN ASPHALT RUNWAY, APPROXIMATELY 3000' IN LENGTH AND 20' WIDE. IT ALSO HAS A DIRT STRIP ADJACENT TO AND OFFSET TO THE NORTH APPROXIMATELY 50'. THIS STRIP IS NOT TYPICALLY USED FOR AIRPORT OPERATIONS. THERE ARE DRAINAGE DITCHES AT BOTH ENDS OF THE RUNWAYS RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE RUNWAYS FROM EAST TO WEST. THESE DITCHES ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY MARKED, BUT ARE VERY VISIBLE. THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THE DITCHES HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE IS UNKNOWN BUT DUE TO THE GRASS COVERAGE, THEY APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOMETIME. THIS INSPECTOR COULD NOT LOCATE A LOCAL RESIDENT TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRPORT. AS THIS AIRPORT IS PRIVATE AND NOT REGULATED BY THE FAA, NO FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE CONCERNING THE AIRPORT. THIS INSPECTOR DOES NOT FEEL THAT THE AIRPORT LAYOUT OR CONDITION CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THIS INCIDENT. MR. HENDRIX WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED IN THE EVENT, HE SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE FAA PRIOR TO RELOCATING THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC, HE IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO MAKE AN AIRWORTHINESS DETERMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT WAS DAMAGED. HE WAS ADVISED THAT A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED AS A RESULT OF A SUCCESSFUL SAFETY CONDITION INSPECTION PERFORMED BY AN APPROPRIATELY RATED MECHANIC. HE WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE MAY HAVE OPERATED AN AIRCRAFT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION. BECAUSE THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT SUBSTANTIAL AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE THIS EVENT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN INCIDENT AND WILL BE DISPOSED OF ACCORDINGLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^