20130830019141I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Callair A-9 · Benton, TN · August 30, 2013

Date
August 30, 2013 · 12:30 local
Place
Benton, TN
Airport
Chilhowee Gliderport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Collision on the ground
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8279H
Reported as
Callair A-9
Reported engine
Lycoming O-540-B2B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,364 total57 in this make and model27 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.

The PIC completed an extensive pre-flight inspection and engine run-up. Departure was conducted without a glider in tow as is customary for initial check of aircraft systems.

Take-off roll was initiated from the right side of runway 03 to avoid prop-wash interference with gliders gridded for take-off. During the take-off roll the Callair veered to the left. Full right rudder and full right brake were engaged in an attempt to maintain the center-line of the runway.

The Callair was 5 feet in the air off the left side of the runway when the propeller, lower cowling, and left landing gear strut struck the right wing of the LS-4 glider which was parked in a tie-down area to the west side of the runway. The Callair landed with no further incident and there were no injuries to any person either on the ground or in the air.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC COMPLETED AN EXTENSIVE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION AND ENGINE RUN-UP. DEPARTURE WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT A GLIDER IN TOW AS IS CUSTOMARY FOR INITIAL CHECK OF AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.

TAKE-OFF ROLL WAS INITIATED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 03 TO AVOID PROP-WASH INTERFERENCE WITH GLIDERS GRIDDED FOR TAKE-OFF. DURING THE TAKE-OFF ROLL THE CALLAIR VEERED TO THE LEFT. FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND FULL RIGHT BRAKE WERE ENGAGED IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN THE CENTER-LINE OF THE RUNWAY.

THE CALLAIR WAS 5 FEET IN THE AIR OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WHEN THE PROPELLER, LOWER COWLING, AND LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUT STRUCK THE RIGHT WING OF THE LS-4 GLIDER WHICH WAS PARKED IN A TIE-DOWN AREA TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE CALLAIR LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSON EITHER ON THE GROUND OR IN THE AIR.