20140903023679A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Ackland Jeffrey Dean SH-3R · Columbus, GA · September 3, 2014

Date: September 3, 2014 · 12:00 local
Place: Columbus, GA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N333AW
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14LA422
Reported as: Ackland Jeffrey Dean SH-3R
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,000 total300 in this make and model10 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.

Owner picked up aircraft after having avionics work performed on instrument panel. Preflighted aircraft, taxi out to runway 24 csg for take off. Pilot applied power for takeoff at approximately 80 knots aircraft transition from ground to air mode at the same time the canopy on pilot side blew open, pilot pulled throttle back to abort the takeoff. The gear retracted up without pilot's input and aircraft contacted the runway causing substantial damage to aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

OWNER PICKED UP AIRCRAFT AFTER HAVING AVIONICS WORK PERFORMED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. PREFLIGHTED AIRCRAFT, TAXI OUT TO RUNWAY 24 CSG FOR TAKE OFF. PILOT APPLIED POWER FOR TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS AIRCRAFT TRANSITION FROM GROUND TO AIR MODE AT THE SAME TIME THE CANOPY ON PILOT SIDE BLEW OPEN, PILOT PULLED THROTTLE BACK TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE GEAR RETRACTED UP WITHOUT PILOT'S INPUT AND AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA14LA422Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportColumbus, GAThe mechanic’s improper installation of the landing gear extend/retract switch, which resulted in the retraction of the landing gear during the aborted takeoff.Sep 3, 2014 · Substantial damage