20100713042719I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Air Tractor AT-504 · Titusville, FL · July 13, 2010

Date
July 13, 2010 · 13:30 local
Place
Titusville, FL
Airport
Space Coast Regional
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N173JH
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-504
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,800 total75 in this make and model125 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.

During the takeoff portion of an aircraft familiarization flight, privacy data omitted took the controls from privacy data omitted, united arab emirates Air force when directional control inputs caused the aircraft to maneuver beyond acceptable limits for the phase of flight. Although there was a positive change of controls, one or both pilots were inadvertently applying pressure to the brakes. This action prevented the aircraft from accelerating to a safe flying speed and rendered directional rudder inputs mostly ineffective. The excessive heat buildup eventually caused the brakes to fade which allowed the rudder to regain effectiveness, but not in time to prevent the aircraft from continuing to exit the right (north) side of the runway. At this time privacy data omitted decided to abort and selected reverse propeller to stop the aircraft in the grass. As the aircraft left the runway it clipped two runway lights which severed a fitting on the left brake line. privacy data omitted Informed tower of our situation and upon stopping, and secured the aircraft. After inspecting the aircraft and advising tower via cell phone that we would require towing assistance. The aircraft was repaired on the field and returned to flight status. The runway lights were repaired the same day. There were no injuries or other damage.

As the FAA filed it

DURING THE TAKEOFF PORTION OF AN AIRCRAFT FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK THE CONTROLS FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AIR FORCE WHEN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL INPUTS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO MANEUVER BEYOND ACCEPTABLE LIMITS FOR THE PHASE OF FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A POSITIVE CHANGE OF CONTROLS, ONE OR BOTH PILOTS WERE INADVERTENTLY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THIS ACTION PREVENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM ACCELERATING TO A SAFE FLYING SPEED AND RENDERED DIRECTIONAL RUDDER INPUTS MOSTLY INEFFECTIVE. THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FADE WHICH ALLOWED THE RUDDER TO REGAIN EFFECTIVENESS, BUT NOT IN TIME TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM CONTINUING TO EXIT THE RIGHT (NORTH) SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AT THIS TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO ABORT AND SELECTED REVERSE PROPELLER TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS. AS THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY IT CLIPPED TWO RUNWAY LIGHTS WHICH SEVERED A FITTING ON THE LEFT BRAKE LINE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INFORMED TOWER OF OUR SITUATION AND UPON STOPPING, AND SECURED THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT AND ADVISING TOWER VIA CELL PHONE THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE TOWING ASSISTANCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED ON THE FIELD AND RETURNED TO FLIGHT STATUS. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE REPAIRED THE SAME DAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE.