20110704017629I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aviat PITTS S-2B · Vergennes, VT · July 4, 2011

Date: July 4, 2011 · 09:00 local
Place: Vergennes, VT
Airport: Basin Harbor
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N311PS
Reported as: Aviat Pitts S-2B
Reported engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,200 total3,400 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N311PSRegistered now · Aviat PITTS S-2BS/N 5347 · Built 1996 Airframe modelAviat PITTS S-2B Engine modelLycoming AEIO-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.

Pilot was performing a soft field takeoff to maintain as little weight on the main gear as possible during the initial takeoff run. As aircraft became airborne, at approx. 30 feet, it struck some branches in the top of a tree that extended out beyond the line of trees that forming the left side of the runway at that point. Pilot came back around and landed without incident. Initial assessment of damage to the aircraft revealed no major powerplant, structural or propeller damage. Damage consisted of shallow lower wing leading edge dents, an 8 inch long fabric tear on the bottom of the upper left wing, one wheel fairing was cracked. Additionally, the left landing gear brace and right horizontal stabilizer brace had slight impact damage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF TO MAINTAIN AS LITTLE WEIGHT ON THE MAIN GEAR AS POSSIBLE DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF RUN. AS AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, AT APPROX. 30 FEET, IT STRUCK SOME BRANCHES IN THE TOP OF A TREE THAT EXTENDED OUT BEYOND THE LINE OF TREES THAT FORMING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THAT POINT. PILOT CAME BACK AROUND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO MAJOR POWERPLANT, STRUCTURAL OR PROPELLER DAMAGE. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF SHALLOW LOWER WING LEADING EDGE DENTS, AN 8 INCH LONG FABRIC TEAR ON THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER LEFT WING, ONE WHEEL FAIRING WAS CRACKED. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT LANDING GEAR BRACE AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER BRACE HAD SLIGHT IMPACT DAMAGE.