# Accident 20170227001819A: Socata TBM-7, Bellingham, WA, February 27, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 27, 2017, 12:21 local time
- Place: Bellingham, WA
- Airport: Bellingham International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.7927° N, 122.5375° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BELLINGHAM INTL (BLI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.7927&lon=-122.5375&mi=10
- Aircraft: C-GVWS (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SOCATA TBM-7
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, unknown or foreign certificate
- Pilot flight hours: 1,703 total, 382 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170227001819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

C-GVWS IS A CANADIAN REGISTERED SOCATA TBM-7 WHICH WAS FLOWN BY THE OWNER WHO IS A CANADIAN PRIVATE PILOT.  THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT BELLINGHAM INT'L AIRPORT (KBLI) EARLIER ON THE MORNING OF 27 FEBRUARY, 2017 FROM BOUNDARY BAY, CANADA. AFTER CLEARING US CUSTOMS AND REFUELING BY TOPPING OF THE FUEL TANKS THE PILOT NOTED AN ACCUMULATION OF SNOW ON THE SURFACES OF THE AIRCRAFT.  SNOW WAS FALLING AT THE TIME AND THE ATIS CURRENT INFORMATION T(ANGO) INCLUDED 1/4 SM VISIBILITY, BROKEN LAYER AT 500, 800, AND OVERCAST AT 1300 IN SNOW AND FREEZING FOG.  THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO PUYALLUP, WA (KPLU) FOR BUSINESS.  NOTING THE ACCUMULATION OF SNOW ON THE WINGS AND TAIL SURFACES THE PILOT CLEARED THE SNOW OFF BY HAND, STARTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND TAXIED TO RUNWAY 16.  UPON REACHING THE RUNUP AREA FOR RUNWAY 16 HE INITIATED THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKS AND RECEIVED HIS IFR CLEARANCE. HE REVIEWED THE DEPARTURE PROCEDURE AND WHEN READY, CALLED THE TOWER FOR AN IFR RELEASE. THE TOTAL TIME FROM THE INITIAL CLEARING OF THE ACCUMULATION OF SNOW ON THE AIRCRAFT TO THE TAKEOFF CLEARANCE WAS ESTIMATED BY THE PILOT TO BE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. HE NOTED SOME SNOW ON THE WINGS BEFORE THE TAKEOFF BUT FELT THE SNOW WOULD SHED ON THE TAKEOFF RUN. TAKEOFF POWER WAS APPLIED AND THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL THROUGH ROTATION. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT WING DOWN ROLL THAT WAS INCREASING IN BANK ANGLE. THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND LOWERED THE NOSE, IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN CONTROL.  THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED UPRIGHT WHILE SLIDING APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE BETWEEN TAXIWAYS D(ELTA) & E(CHO). THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 950FEET COMING TO REST ABOUT 30 FEET FROM THE SELF SERVE FUEL TANKS.  THE PILOT SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL POWER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE CABIN DOOR.  NO POST CRASH FIRE,  APPROXIMATELY 140 GALLONS OF JET-A FUEL WAS RELEASED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO A RUPTURED LEFT FUEL CELL. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PERSONS ON THE GROUND.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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