20151104018859I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Wiscasset, ME · November 4, 2015

Date: November 4, 2015 · 08:40 local
Place: Wiscasset, ME
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total25 in this make and model

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.

On the day of the incident, the pilot in command attempted to takeoff the aircraft, which had not been operated for 2 years, on runway 25. After applying full power, the pilot in command stated the tail of the aircraft began to occilate from side to side. He applied forward pressure on the elevator control, which raised the tail off the ground. The aircraft turned sharply to the left and impacted the PAPI light box nearest to the runway, located 500 feet from the entrance to the runway from the taxiway.

The propeller impacted the PAPI box under power and was destroyed. The tail wheel was also damaged. No damage was observed on the engine cowling or firewall.

Inspection of the aircraft found deformed areas of the aluminum wing struts, and holes in the upper fabric of the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot in command stated that the holes were a result of the flight control mechanism rubbing the fabric and were present prior to the incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, THE PILOT IN COMMAND ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN OPERATED FOR 2 YEARS, ON RUNWAY 25. AFTER APPLYING FULL POWER, THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO OCCILATE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. HE APPLIED FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE ELEVATOR CONTROL, WHICH RAISED THE TAIL OFF THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE PAPI LIGHT BOX NEAREST TO THE RUNWAY, LOCATED 500 FEET FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE RUNWAY FROM THE TAXIWAY.

THE PROPELLER IMPACTED THE PAPI BOX UNDER POWER AND WAS DESTROYED. THE TAIL WHEEL WAS ALSO DAMAGED. NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ON THE ENGINE COWLING OR FIREWALL.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND DEFORMED AREAS OF THE ALUMINUM WING STRUTS, AND HOLES IN THE UPPER FABRIC OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT THE HOLES WERE A RESULT OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL MECHANISM RUBBING THE FABRIC AND WERE PRESENT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.