What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11 January 2018, at approximately 12:50 p.m. a citabria N53959 serial number# 599-77 struck a runway edge light at centennial airport. The purpose of the flight that day was tail-wheel transition training. Preflight and taxi were normal. N53959 was cleared for takeoff on runway 17L and began the takeoff roll.
At the beginning of the roll, the instructor noticed the student was applying light brake pressure as he was moving the rudders, and the instructor reminded student to use only the rudders. At approximately 30-40 mph, the instructor prompted student to raise the tailwheel. The student then moved the stick slightly forward only, and the instructor prompted him again. As the instructor prompted him the third time, the instructor began to push the stick forward, but it did not move as the student still had control of the stick at that point which was about halfway between neutral and full aft.
About this time, N53959 began to drift to the right side of the runway. The instructor called out, ?my flight controls? And tried to move the plane back to centerline, but could not move the stick forward or laterally. After a couple seconds, the student relinquished control and the instructor applied left aileron and rudder. The instructor got the plane on the left wheel, and attempted to continue left back to centerline, and attempted to get airborne. As the aircraft lifted off, they heard the aft end of the plane strike something.
They continued the takeoff, and told tower that they had probably struck a runway light. They continued straight out and asked the tower for the winds, they then landed on runway 28. The instructor landed on the main wheels and touched the tailwheel lightly to the ground and back up. It rolled normally and they turned off on taxiway C2 and taxied to the maintenance facility. The left rear bottom of the plane and tail wheel contacted one of the runway marker lights causing damage in three places to the fabric and a cross member tube was bent. The runway light was snapped at the frangible coupling. Pilot reported no mechanical issues.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11 JANUARY 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:50 P.M. A CITABRIA N53959 SERIAL NUMBER# 599-77 STRUCK A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT AT CENTENNIAL AIRPORT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT THAT DAY WAS TAIL-WHEEL TRANSITION TRAINING. PREFLIGHT AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. N53959 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 17L AND BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROLL, THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICED THE STUDENT WAS APPLYING LIGHT BRAKE PRESSURE AS HE WAS MOVING THE RUDDERS, AND THE INSTRUCTOR REMINDED STUDENT TO USE ONLY THE RUDDERS. AT APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH, THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED STUDENT TO RAISE THE TAILWHEEL. THE STUDENT THEN MOVED THE STICK SLIGHTLY FORWARD ONLY, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED HIM AGAIN. AS THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED HIM THE THIRD TIME, THE INSTRUCTOR BEGAN TO PUSH THE STICK FORWARD, BUT IT DID NOT MOVE AS THE STUDENT STILL HAD CONTROL OF THE STICK AT THAT POINT WHICH WAS ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN NEUTRAL AND FULL AFT.
ABOUT THIS TIME, N53959 BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED OUT, ?MY FLIGHT CONTROLS? AND TRIED TO MOVE THE PLANE BACK TO CENTERLINE, BUT COULD NOT MOVE THE STICK FORWARD OR LATERALLY. AFTER A COUPLE SECONDS, THE STUDENT RELINQUISHED CONTROL AND THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED LEFT AILERON AND RUDDER. THE INSTRUCTOR GOT THE PLANE ON THE LEFT WHEEL, AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE LEFT BACK TO CENTERLINE, AND ATTEMPTED TO GET AIRBORNE. AS THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF, THEY HEARD THE AFT END OF THE PLANE STRIKE SOMETHING.
THEY CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF, AND TOLD TOWER THAT THEY HAD PROBABLY STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. THEY CONTINUED STRAIGHT OUT AND ASKED THE TOWER FOR THE WINDS, THEY THEN LANDED ON RUNWAY 28. THE INSTRUCTOR LANDED ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND TOUCHED THE TAILWHEEL LIGHTLY TO THE GROUND AND BACK UP. IT ROLLED NORMALLY AND THEY TURNED OFF ON TAXIWAY C2 AND TAXIED TO THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. THE LEFT REAR BOTTOM OF THE PLANE AND TAIL WHEEL CONTACTED ONE OF THE RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTS CAUSING DAMAGE IN THREE PLACES TO THE FABRIC AND A CROSS MEMBER TUBE WAS BENT. THE RUNWAY LIGHT WAS SNAPPED AT THE FRANGIBLE COUPLING. PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL ISSUES.
Other reports on N53959 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.