20170514004839I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Wagnon Ken J STEWART S-51D · Pensacola, FL · May 14, 2017

Date
May 14, 2017 · 09:52 local
Place
Pensacola, FL
Airport
Pensacola Regional
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N351KW
Reported as
Wagnon Ken J Stewart S-51D
Reported engine
Amateur-built CHEVROLET V-8
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,400 total143 in this make and model23 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.

Pilot reports he was planning a local flight. After normal taxi and runup, applied power for takeoff on runway 35. At approximately 75% of the takeoff roll, the engine had a brief acceleration/surge which pilot expected and is normal. Soon after liftoff, as the pilot leveled slightly to increase speed from 80 -100 knots, he experienced two more engine surging events. Pilot chose to land on the remaining runway. Touchdown was normal and rollout was near the end of the runway. Pilot executed a slow right turn to avoid runway end identifier lights as he rolled off end of pavement. Propeller blade, left wing leading edge and tip hit the malsr lights. Pilot was able to complete a right turn onto taxiway A1 without further issue. Upon shutdown pilot noted that both fuel boost pumps were on.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTS HE WAS PLANNING A LOCAL FLIGHT. AFTER NORMAL TAXI AND RUNUP, APPLIED POWER FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 35. AT APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE ENGINE HAD A BRIEF ACCELERATION/SURGE WHICH PILOT EXPECTED AND IS NORMAL. SOON AFTER LIFTOFF, AS THE PILOT LEVELED SLIGHTLY TO INCREASE SPEED FROM 80 -100 KNOTS, HE EXPERIENCED TWO MORE ENGINE SURGING EVENTS. PILOT CHOSE TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND ROLLOUT WAS NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT EXECUTED A SLOW RIGHT TURN TO AVOID RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS AS HE ROLLED OFF END OF PAVEMENT. PROPELLER BLADE, LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AND TIP HIT THE MALSR LIGHTS. PILOT WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A RIGHT TURN ONTO TAXIWAY A1 WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. UPON SHUTDOWN PILOT NOTED THAT BOTH FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE ON.