20100714038279I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Ciernia Jam GLASAIR III · Mobile, AL · July 14, 2010

Date: July 14, 2010 · 10:29 local
Place: Mobile, AL
Airport: Brookley Field
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N65DE
Reported as: Ciernia Jam Glasair III
Reported engine: Lycon Of California IO-540 EXP
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total7 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N65DERegistered now · Ciernia James R GLASAIR IIIS/N 3236 · Built 1991 Airframe modelCiernia James R GLASAIR III Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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 takeoff roll on runway 14 at kbfm the nose landing gear retracted and aircraft nose cowl, spinner, and propeller impacted the runway. Pilot stated during preflight he must have inadvertently selected the landing gear switch to the gear up position thinking he selected the spoilers switch to the retracted position. The aircraft landing gear switch and spoilers switch are identical in design and within three (3) inches of each other.

As the FAA filed it

DURING TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 14 AT KBFM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND AIRCRAFT NOSE COWL, SPINNER, AND PROPELLER IMPACTED THE RUNWAY. PILOT STATED DURING PREFLIGHT HE MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH TO THE GEAR UP POSITION THINKING HE SELECTED THE SPOILERS SWITCH TO THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR SWITCH AND SPOILERS SWITCH ARE IDENTICAL IN DESIGN AND WITHIN THREE (3) INCHES OF EACH OTHER.