# Incident 20110704017629I: Aviat Aircraft Inc PITTS S-2B, Vergennes, VT, July 4, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 4, 2011, 09:00 local time
- Place: Vergennes, VT
- Airport: Basin Harbor
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.1917° N, 73.3587° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BASIN HARBOR (B06), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1917&lon=-73.3587&mi=10
- Aircraft: N311PS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N311PS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aviat PITTS S-2B (registry code 2210403, https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-pitts-s-2b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series (registry code 41568, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC PITTS S-2B
- Reported engine: LYCOMING AEIO-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 8,200 total, 3,400 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110704017629I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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