What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot of N2629D, sole occupant, was practicing take off and landings on a dry lake bed which he had done on numerous other occasions. Landing practice was his primary purpose for being on this flat. Late that afternoon he had touched down on the dry lake many times, perhaps 10 or 15, without any difficulties. He did one full stop landing and walked around on the playa surface and noticed nothing unusual. He did another full stop landing on an area of the dry lake which visually appeared consistent with the other areas but was actually softer. On departure it was necessary to raise the tail wheel to begin forward progress for takeoff. Early in the takeoff roll, with the ground speed perhaps 5 mph and the tail wheel up, the main gear struck an area of increased resistance (soft spot) and the plane rotated forward onto the spinner and propeller. The plane remained resting on the nose and both main gear. With the assistance of a search and rescue individual, the nose was lifted and the plane put back to its normal 3 point attitude with the tail wheel on the ground. Propeller was damaged and engine tear down is probable. No other damage noted.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT OF N2629D, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS PRACTICING TAKE OFF AND LANDINGS ON A DRY LAKE BED WHICH HE HAD DONE ON NUMEROUS OTHER OCCASIONS. LANDING PRACTICE WAS HIS PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR BEING ON THIS FLAT. LATE THAT AFTERNOON HE HAD TOUCHED DOWN ON THE DRY LAKE MANY TIMES, PERHAPS 10 OR 15, WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES. HE DID ONE FULL STOP LANDING AND WALKED AROUND ON THE PLAYA SURFACE AND NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. HE DID ANOTHER FULL STOP LANDING ON AN AREA OF THE DRY LAKE WHICH VISUALLY APPEARED CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER AREAS BUT WAS ACTUALLY SOFTER. ON DEPARTURE IT WAS NECESSARY TO RAISE THE TAIL WHEEL TO BEGIN FORWARD PROGRESS FOR TAKEOFF. EARLY IN THE TAKEOFF ROLL, WITH THE GROUND SPEED PERHAPS 5 MPH AND THE TAIL WHEEL UP, THE MAIN GEAR STRUCK AN AREA OF INCREASED RESISTANCE (SOFT SPOT) AND THE PLANE ROTATED FORWARD ONTO THE SPINNER AND PROPELLER. THE PLANE REMAINED RESTING ON THE NOSE AND BOTH MAIN GEAR. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A SEARCH AND RESCUE INDIVIDUAL, THE NOSE WAS LIFTED AND THE PLANE PUT BACK TO ITS NORMAL 3 POINT ATTITUDE WITH THE TAIL WHEEL ON THE GROUND. PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED AND ENGINE TEAR DOWN IS PROBABLE. NO OTHER DAMAGE NOTED.
Other reports on N2629D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.