20160407003869I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Schleicher Alexander ASH 26 E · Richland, WA · April 7, 2016

Date: April 7, 2016 · 15:00 local
Place: Richland, WA
Airport: Richland
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N26GG
Reported as: Schleicher Alexander ASH 26 E
Reported engine: Mid-West AE50R
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,960 total291 in this make and model

N26GGRegistered now · Schleicher Alexander ASH 26 ES/N 26235 · Built 2006 Airframe modelSchleicher Alexander ASH 26 E Engine modelMid-West AE50RReciprocating

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.

Dive brakes deployed after takeoff. Unable to climb out of ground effect, the pilot stated that he suspected engine power trouble and did not check dive brake status. As the pilot turned to land on a perpendicular runway, the aircraft lost lift and settled into a landing off the runway. The pilot landed the aircraft in a wings level attitude. As the aircraft decelerated and the left wing settled, the left wing tip caught and caused the aircraft to ground loop to the left and onto it's right wing tip. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the right wing tip wheel fairing.

As the FAA filed it

DIVE BRAKES DEPLOYED AFTER TAKEOFF. UNABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF GROUND EFFECT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SUSPECTED ENGINE POWER TROUBLE AND DID NOT CHECK DIVE BRAKE STATUS. AS THE PILOT TURNED TO LAND ON A PERPENDICULAR RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT AND SETTLED INTO A LANDING OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. AS THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED AND THE LEFT WING SETTLED, THE LEFT WING TIP CAUGHT AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP TO THE LEFT AND ONTO IT'S RIGHT WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP WHEEL FAIRING.