20080216010129I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA18150 · Fairfield, ID · February 16, 2008

Date: February 16, 2008 · 12:45 local
Place: Fairfield, ID
Airport: Camas County
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N78Q
Reported as: Piper PA18150
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,300 total25 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

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) During acceleration in the takeoff roll (of a touch and go) at Camas County Airport U86, pilot proceeded to raise the flaps to the takeoff setting. Due to a momentary reduction in lift, the weight of the aircraft increased, causing the main tires to sink into the unexpectedly deep snow covering the runway. The force of drag caused by the deep snow completely stopped the main wheels. In an instant, the aircraft rotated forward onto its nose and struck the prop.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING ACCELERATION IN THE TAKEOFF ROLL (OF A TOUCH AND GO) AT CAMAS COUNTY AIRPORT U86, PILOT PROCEEDED TO RAISE THE FLAPS TO THE TAKEOFF SETTING. DUE TO A MOMENTARY REDUCTION IN LIFT, THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT INCREASED, CAUSING THE MAIN TIRES TO SINK INTO THE UNEXPECTEDLY DEEP SNOW COVERING THE RUNWAY. THE FORCE OF DRAG CAUSED BY THE DEEP SNOW COMPLETELY STOPPED THE MAIN WHEELS. IN AN INSTANT, THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED FORWARD ONTO ITS NOSE AND STRUCK THE PROP.