What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On November 28, 2008, the pilot of N44L had conducted some practice takeoffs and landings at his private airstrip prior to giving a ride to 3 other individuals who had expressed an interest in flying that afternoon. The pilot reported that a 6 inch aluminum irrigation pipe was lying across the runway and located approximately 1600 feet from the approach end of his runway. After he had satisfied himself that he could takeoff and land his aircraft 200-300 feet before the pipe, he added his passengers and conducted his takeoff. Upon returning for landing, the pilot stated that after he landed, it was apparent the aircraft was not going to stop prior to contact with the irrigation pipe. When he noted that he was not going to be able to stop the aircraft, he added power to try to "jump" the pipe. Subsequently, he was able to raise the nose of the aircraft which cleared the pipe, but the main landing gear assembly struck the pipe resulting in substantial damage to the gear assembly, lower fuselage, wheel pants, and wheel pant attach brackets. No injuries were reported by the occupants as a result of this event. This report is being submited to close out accident number CEN09CA089.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOVEMBER 28, 2008, THE PILOT OF N44L HAD CONDUCTED SOME PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP PRIOR TO GIVING A RIDE TO 3 OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN FLYING THAT AFTERNOON. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A 6 INCH ALUMINUM IRRIGATION PIPE WAS LYING ACROSS THE RUNWAY AND LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1600 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF HIS RUNWAY. AFTER HE HAD SATISFIED HIMSELF THAT HE COULD TAKEOFF AND LAND HIS AIRCRAFT 200-300 FEET BEFORE THE PIPE, HE ADDED HIS PASSENGERS AND CONDUCTED HIS TAKEOFF. UPON RETURNING FOR LANDING, THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HE LANDED, IT WAS APPARENT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO STOP PRIOR TO CONTACT WITH THE IRRIGATION PIPE. WHEN HE NOTED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT, HE ADDED POWER TO TRY TO "JUMP" THE PIPE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH CLEARED THE PIPE, BUT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY STRUCK THE PIPE RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE GEAR ASSEMBLY, LOWER FUSELAGE, WHEEL PANTS, AND WHEEL PANT ATTACH BRACKETS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE OCCUPANTS AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT. THIS REPORT IS BEING SUBMITED TO CLOSE OUT ACCIDENT NUMBER CEN09CA089.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.