20140823016899I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Pitcairn PA-7S · Rockland, ME · August 23, 2014

Date: August 23, 2014 · 18:20 local
Place: Rockland, ME
Airport: Knox County Regional
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N13158
Reported as: Pitcairn PA-7S
Reported engine: WRIGHT 760A B D E&ET
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,400 total

N13158Registered now · Pitcairn PA-7SS/N 151 · Built 1930 Airframe modelPitcairn PA-7S Engine modelWright 760A B D E&ETReciprocating

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 pilot was attempting a takeoff from runway 21 at rkd, a grass strip that runs parallel to the paved runway 21. This was a museum sponsored demonstration flight. During takeoff roll the engine experienced a backfire and sputter that resulted in reduced power from the engine. The pilot aborted the takeoff, set idle and applied braking. The aircraft had nearly come to a stop when a slight dip in the runway was encountered that resulted in the aircraft slowly nosing over. Damage was limited to the prop tips, lower engine cowl and wheel pants.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 21 AT RKD, A GRASS STRIP THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO THE PAVED RUNWAY 21. THIS WAS A MUSEUM SPONSORED DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF ROLL THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A BACKFIRE AND SPUTTER THAT RESULTED IN REDUCED POWER FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, SET IDLE AND APPLIED BRAKING. THE AIRCRAFT HAD NEARLY COME TO A STOP WHEN A SLIGHT DIP IN THE RUNWAY WAS ENCOUNTERED THAT RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY NOSING OVER. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROP TIPS, LOWER ENGINE COWL AND WHEEL PANTS.