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20200929011879I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Boyne City, MI · September 29, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 29, 2020 · 08:15 local
Place
Boyne City, MI
Airport
Boyne City Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4371Z
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
21,122 total160 in this make and model110 in the last 90 days
N4371ZRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8693 · Built 1968Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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 or about September 29, 2020, at approximately 0815 EDT, a 1968 Piper PA-18-150, a fixed-wing single-engine airplane bearing the registration of N4371Z (sn: 18-8693), sustained minor damage after tipping forward onto its spinner following an aborted takeoff at Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98) in Boyne City, MI. Jarema aviation LLC is the registered owner of N4371Z. privacy data omitted privacy data omitted was the pilot-in-command (PIC) of N4371Z and stated that the intended flight's purpose was to reposition the aircraft for scheduled maintenance. According to the PIC, this reposition flight was to be conducted under the provisions of title 14 of the code of federal regulations (14 CFR) part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the following is the weather observation from charlevoix municipal airport (kcvx) from the time of the incident:

METAR kcvx 291215Z auto 24007KT 4SM -ra SCT014 BKN023 OVC045 11/10 A2971 rmk AO2 T01100097=

The PIC states that he was taking off to the west on the grass alongside runway 27 when he noticed he was having difficulties maintaining directional control of the plane. The PIC decided to abort the takeoff, pulled the throttle to its idle position, and let the airplane slow down. The PIC notes there were gusty winds out of the southwest and feels that the wind was the contributing factor to his inability to maintain directional control. As the aircraft slowed down, the PIC began turning the airplane off of the grass with the intent to taxi back to the hanger. As the plane turned, the tail suddenly lifted off the ground, and the aircraft tipped forward onto its spinner. The PIC immediately shut down the aircraft and exited without incident. The airplanes propeller did contact the ground, but did not sustain any visual damage. The PIC sent pictures to this inspector, and it appears the only damages are minor scratches on the propeller.

The PIC stated that he is unsure if a wind gust caused the airplane to tip forward or if he inadvertently touched the heel brakes, causing the aircraft to stop abruptly, which would result in the plane tipping forward. This inspector counseled the PIC on taxing techniques in windy environments and the importance of knowing where your feet are while at the controls.

As the FAA filed it

ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 29, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 EDT, A 1968 PIPER PA-18-150, A FIXED-WING SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE BEARING THE REGISTRATION OF N4371Z (SN: 18-8693), SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AFTER TIPPING FORWARD ONTO ITS SPINNER FOLLOWING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF AT BOYNE CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (N98) IN BOYNE CITY, MI. JAREMA AVIATION LLC IS THE REGISTERED OWNER OF N4371Z. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) OF N4371Z AND STATED THAT THE INTENDED FLIGHT'S PURPOSE WAS TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, THIS REPOSITION FLIGHT WAS TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (14 CFR) PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE FOLLOWING IS THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM CHARLEVOIX MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KCVX) FROM THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT:

METAR KCVX 291215Z AUTO 24007KT 4SM -RA SCT014 BKN023 OVC045 11/10 A2971 RMK AO2 T01100097=

THE PIC STATES THAT HE WAS TAKING OFF TO THE WEST ON THE GRASS ALONGSIDE RUNWAY 27 WHEN HE NOTICED HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTIES MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE PLANE. THE PIC DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, PULLED THE THROTTLE TO ITS IDLE POSITION, AND LET THE AIRPLANE SLOW DOWN. THE PIC NOTES THERE WERE GUSTY WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AND FEELS THAT THE WIND WAS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN, THE PIC BEGAN TURNING THE AIRPLANE OFF OF THE GRASS WITH THE INTENT TO TAXI BACK TO THE HANGER. AS THE PLANE TURNED, THE TAIL SUDDENLY LIFTED OFF THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT TIPPED FORWARD ONTO ITS SPINNER. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE AIRPLANES PROPELLER DID CONTACT THE GROUND, BUT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY VISUAL DAMAGE. THE PIC SENT PICTURES TO THIS INSPECTOR, AND IT APPEARS THE ONLY DAMAGES ARE MINOR SCRATCHES ON THE PROPELLER.

THE PIC STATED THAT HE IS UNSURE IF A WIND GUST CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO TIP FORWARD OR IF HE INADVERTENTLY TOUCHED THE HEEL BRAKES, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO STOP ABRUPTLY, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE PLANE TIPPING FORWARD. THIS INSPECTOR COUNSELED THE PIC ON TAXING TECHNIQUES IN WINDY ENVIRONMENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING WHERE YOUR FEET ARE WHILE AT THE CONTROLS.