What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 15, 2023 at approximately 1600 EDT, privacy data omitted a Cessna model CE-172-RG registered to and owned by a private pilot was departing on a local flight after maintenance had been perfored on the aircraft. During the takeoff ground roll the pilot reported that he noticed the nose of the aircraft pitch down substantially. The pilot reported that he thought the nose gear was retracting so he pulled the nose up in an attempt to keep the propeller from striking the ground. The pilot stated that he started to take the aircraft into the air and then thinking that he had a landing gear problem, decided to retract the gear and allow the airplane to come to a rest on its belly. The aircraft was raised in his hangar for inspection. Damage to the aircraft consisted of the following:
Internal engine components and related accessories due to prop striking the ground several times.
Propeller tip damage and abrasion to the aircraft bottom side skin, and several rivets and skin panels were worn through. There was no damage to the firewall, structural members of the fuselage or structural members located near the damaged skin areas.
Photos of the damage were sent to the NTSB who determined the damage was only minor which would only make this an incident. The weather at the time of the incident was clear skies with a light wind from the southwest. The pilot reported no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 15, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A CESSNA MODEL CE-172-RG REGISTERED TO AND OWNED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WAS DEPARTING ON A LOCAL FLIGHT AFTER MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORED ON THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE NOTICED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCH DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE THOUGHT THE NOSE GEAR WAS RETRACTING SO HE PULLED THE NOSE UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE PROPELLER FROM STRIKING THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STARTED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE AIR AND THEN THINKING THAT HE HAD A LANDING GEAR PROBLEM, DECIDED TO RETRACT THE GEAR AND ALLOW THE AIRPLANE TO COME TO A REST ON ITS BELLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED IN HIS HANGAR FOR INSPECTION. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING:
INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENTS AND RELATED ACCESSORIES DUE TO PROP STRIKING THE GROUND SEVERAL TIMES.
PROPELLER TIP DAMAGE AND ABRASION TO THE AIRCRAFT BOTTOM SIDE SKIN, AND SEVERAL RIVETS AND SKIN PANELS WERE WORN THROUGH. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL, STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF THE FUSELAGE OR STRUCTURAL MEMBERS LOCATED NEAR THE DAMAGED SKIN AREAS.
PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE WERE SENT TO THE NTSB WHO DETERMINED THE DAMAGE WAS ONLY MINOR WHICH WOULD ONLY MAKE THIS AN INCIDENT. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS CLEAR SKIES WITH A LIGHT WIND FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES.
Other reports on N9474B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.