What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The private pilot reported that ?on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 I arrived at the airport at approximately 11:30AM. I paid the attendant the landing fee and asked him the runway of choice as I knew the winds were coming almost directly from the south. He indicated runway #27. I did not ask for the winds and he did not offer. The wind sock indicated winds from the south and fairly strong. I would estimate 10 -12 knots.
I performed a preflight for the next 15 minutes or so. I did not notice anything out of the ordinary. I had landed at Linden from s. albany (4B0) 3 hours earlier. There was nothing of issue I noted during the flight down.
After completing the preflight I started the airplane. It was approximately 12:00 noon, or shortly before. All systems checked out perfectly. I got the weather from ldj, which was 200 @ 6 knots. I thought that seemed mild as the wind sock looked more like 10 ? 12 knots. I attempted to contact clearance (4 times) with no response. Plan ?b? Was to get flight following from NY approach, which I have done in the past when clearance does not respond.
I taxied to runway 27. I checked the brakes, heading indicator, etc and everything was fine. I had to turn both left and right to maneuver to taxi way #27. Everything seemed fine, although the pedals were making a loud creaking sound ? Which I did notice a few preceding flights. I held short at runway #27 and did my runup everything was fine.
I rolled out (did not hold and bring the engine to 2,000 RPM as I just flew 3 hours ago and everything seemed fine). All the instruments were in the green. I pointed the aileron to the left to compensate for the wind and pushed slightly more than usual on the right rudder. Reached 2700 RPM and 80 mph. Just as I was about to rotate the plane swerved sharply to the left.
I am fairly certain the wheels were still touching the runway. I pushed on the right rudder but any correction was negligible. I attempted to get right and steer clear of the VASI.
Knowing I wasn?t able to ascend I pulled the throttle, but I do not remember exactly when in the transition. I was on the left edge of the runway slightly before the VASI?s. the right side of the cowling and prop struck the right VASI.
I continued thru the VASI, thru the grass median between runway #27 and taxi way alpha and came to a complete stop on alpha. I believe it was before taxi way delta.
Other than the right VASI, there was no other damage to Linden property. I was pointed westerly on taxi way alpha and continued west to the transient area, turned left and parked."
While onsite, inspectors from this office performed a visual inspection of the aircraft. Rudder pedals appeared to be ok. Noted minor damage to upper leading edge of vertical stabilizer, left wing inboard leading edge, forward bottom of engine cowling, small hole puncture on under side of left flap, and small nicks on propeller.
Records review showed the last airframe, engine and propeller annual
Inspection was done July 7, 2020.
As the FAA filed it
THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT ?ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 I ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30AM. I PAID THE ATTENDANT THE LANDING FEE AND ASKED HIM THE RUNWAY OF CHOICE AS I KNEW THE WINDS WERE COMING ALMOST DIRECTLY FROM THE SOUTH. HE INDICATED RUNWAY #27. I DID NOT ASK FOR THE WINDS AND HE DID NOT OFFER. THE WIND SOCK INDICATED WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AND FAIRLY STRONG. I WOULD ESTIMATE 10 -12 KNOTS.
I PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT FOR THE NEXT 15 MINUTES OR SO. I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I HAD LANDED AT LINDEN FROM S. ALBANY (4B0) 3 HOURS EARLIER. THERE WAS NOTHING OF ISSUE I NOTED DURING THE FLIGHT DOWN.
AFTER COMPLETING THE PREFLIGHT I STARTED THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 12:00 NOON, OR SHORTLY BEFORE. ALL SYSTEMS CHECKED OUT PERFECTLY. I GOT THE WEATHER FROM LDJ, WHICH WAS 200 @ 6 KNOTS. I THOUGHT THAT SEEMED MILD AS THE WIND SOCK LOOKED MORE LIKE 10 ? 12 KNOTS. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CLEARANCE (4 TIMES) WITH NO RESPONSE. PLAN ?B? WAS TO GET FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM NY APPROACH, WHICH I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WHEN CLEARANCE DOES NOT RESPOND.
I TAXIED TO RUNWAY 27. I CHECKED THE BRAKES, HEADING INDICATOR, ETC AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I HAD TO TURN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TO MANEUVER TO TAXI WAY #27. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE, ALTHOUGH THE PEDALS WERE MAKING A LOUD CREAKING SOUND ? WHICH I DID NOTICE A FEW PRECEDING FLIGHTS. I HELD SHORT AT RUNWAY #27 AND DID MY RUNUP EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
I ROLLED OUT (DID NOT HOLD AND BRING THE ENGINE TO 2,000 RPM AS I JUST FLEW 3 HOURS AGO AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE). ALL THE INSTRUMENTS WERE IN THE GREEN. I POINTED THE AILERON TO THE LEFT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND AND PUSHED SLIGHTLY MORE THAN USUAL ON THE RIGHT RUDDER. REACHED 2700 RPM AND 80 MPH. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO ROTATE THE PLANE SWERVED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT.
I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THE WHEELS WERE STILL TOUCHING THE RUNWAY. I PUSHED ON THE RIGHT RUDDER BUT ANY CORRECTION WAS NEGLIGIBLE. I ATTEMPTED TO GET RIGHT AND STEER CLEAR OF THE VASI.
KNOWING I WASN?T ABLE TO ASCEND I PULLED THE THROTTLE, BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN IN THE TRANSITION. I WAS ON THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE VASI?S. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWLING AND PROP STRUCK THE RIGHT VASI.
I CONTINUED THRU THE VASI, THRU THE GRASS MEDIAN BETWEEN RUNWAY #27 AND TAXI WAY ALPHA AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON ALPHA. I BELIEVE IT WAS BEFORE TAXI WAY DELTA.
OTHER THAN THE RIGHT VASI, THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO LINDEN PROPERTY. I WAS POINTED WESTERLY ON TAXI WAY ALPHA AND CONTINUED WEST TO THE TRANSIENT AREA, TURNED LEFT AND PARKED."
WHILE ONSITE, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. RUDDER PEDALS APPEARED TO BE OK. NOTED MINOR DAMAGE TO UPPER LEADING EDGE OF VERTICAL STABILIZER, LEFT WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE, FORWARD BOTTOM OF ENGINE COWLING, SMALL HOLE PUNCTURE ON UNDER SIDE OF LEFT FLAP, AND SMALL NICKS ON PROPELLER.
RECORDS REVIEW SHOWED THE LAST AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER ANNUAL
INSPECTION WAS DONE JULY 7, 2020.