20070627015309I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amsflt CARAT A · Truckee, CA · June 27, 2007

Date: June 27, 2007 · 13:30 local
Place: Truckee, CA
Airport: Truckee-Tahoe
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N234WF
Reported as: Amsflt Carata
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,880 total380 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N234WFRegistered now · AMS Flight D O O CARAT AS/N CA005 · Built 2003 Airframe modelAMS Flight D O O CARAT A Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot reported that on takeoff with his tail up and just prior to rotation/lift-off he encountered a strong wind gust (whirlwind) that caused his tail to drop back hard onto the runway which started his motor-glider swerving. He stated he lost directional control, ran off the runway, and hit a shallow ditch which broke off both main landing gears and his propeller blades. The aircraft ground-looped 160 degrees around but remained upright. Pilot failed to recognize or consider the unforecast gusty winds and whirlwinds (dust-devils) near and on runway. Whirlwinds were verifed by eyewitness statements.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT ON TAKEOFF WITH HIS TAIL UP AND JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION/LIFT-OFF HE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG WIND GUST (WHIRLWIND) THAT CAUSED HIS TAIL TO DROP BACK HARD ONTO THE RUNWAY WHICH STARTED HIS MOTOR-GLIDER SWERVING. HE STATED HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, RAN OFF THE RUNWAY, AND HIT A SHALLOW DITCH WHICH BROKE OFF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS AND HIS PROPELLER BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND-LOOPED 160 DEGREES AROUND BUT REMAINED UPRIGHT. PILOT FAILED TO RECOGNIZE OR CONSIDER THE UNFORECAST GUSTY WINDS AND WHIRLWINDS (DUST-DEVILS) NEAR AND ON RUNWAY. WHIRLWINDS WERE VERIFED BY EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS.