What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Incident: IGL0320240089
When: July 18, 2024, at 1852 CDT
Where: Gerbick Airport (96IL)
On July 18, 2024, at approximately 1852 CDT, a private pilot was operating a PA-28R-200, departing Gerbick Airport (96IL) for a local leisure flight. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and using visual flight rules (VFR). The nearest automated weather observation station (AWOS) reported calm winds and clear skies. Kfep 182255Z auto 33005KT 10SM clr 23/11 A3021 rmk AO2 T02300106. There were no injuries to the pilot or two passengers on board. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The pilot in command (PIC) traveled to 96IL from monroe municipal airport (keft) to pick up two passengers to go on a leisure flight in the local area. 96IL consists of a grass, north/south runway with dimensions of 2400 ft x 70 ft. the PIC departed runway 36 using the procedure for a normal takeoff indicated in the pilot’s operating handbook (POH). The PIC did not utilize the short field or soft field techniques indicated in the POH. The PIC stated that the aircraft lifted into the air but was unable to climb. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft lost lift and settled into a corn field approximately 30 yards from the departure end of runway 36. Throughout the event, the PIC stated the engine was operating normally and that all engine instruments indicated in the green.
Upon arriving at the scene, the aircraft was discovered at rest with all three landing gear down and locked. The nose wheel sustained damage to the lower portion of the nose gear. The nose gear lower leg axel support was bent at a forty-five-degree angle, wrapping around the rim of the tire. The tire was flat with no other obvious damage. A visual inspection of the aircraft was performed and found no substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, or tail section. Minor denting in the leading edge of the horizontal stabilator was observed. The right wing tip sustained minor damage.
Inside the flight deck, the fuel selector was selected to the right tank. The aircraft main tanks were sumped for contamination with none noted. The main fuel gascolator was also checked with no contamination noted. A verification of fuel quantity was performed by turning on the master power switch and verifying the fuel gauges. Both main tanks were full.
The aircraft engine could not be started at this time due to the lack of ground clearance.
Magneto switches were off, mixture and throttle were at idle and idle cutoff. Prop was full forward. Trim was in center and landing gear selector was in down lock position. Flap handle was in retracted position.
Removed engine upper and lower cowling to investigate for further damage. The mount appeared to have no visible damage and the nose gear structure was intact. No signs of bending or deformation. The air filter was removed and was clear to the eye with sun light being observed through it. At this time, no mechanical issues were noted.
FSDO incident number for this event is: IGL0320240089
Atqa incident number for the event is: AGL0324011
Sas record number(s) associated with the event: GL03202404737
As the FAA filed it
INCIDENT: IGL0320240089
WHEN: JULY 18, 2024, AT 1852 CDT
WHERE: GERBICK AIRPORT (96IL)
ON JULY 18, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1852 CDT, A PRIVATE PILOT WAS OPERATING A PA-28R-200, DEPARTING GERBICK AIRPORT (96IL) FOR A LOCAL LEISURE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND USING VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THE NEAREST AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION (AWOS) REPORTED CALM WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES. KFEP 182255Z AUTO 33005KT 10SM CLR 23/11 A3021 RMK AO2 T02300106. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) TRAVELED TO 96IL FROM MONROE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KEFT) TO PICK UP TWO PASSENGERS TO GO ON A LEISURE FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. 96IL CONSISTS OF A GRASS, NORTH/SOUTH RUNWAY WITH DIMENSIONS OF 2400 FT X 70 FT. THE PIC DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 USING THE PROCEDURE FOR A NORMAL TAKEOFF INDICATED IN THE PILOT’S OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH). THE PIC DID NOT UTILIZE THE SHORT FIELD OR SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUES INDICATED IN THE POH. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED INTO THE AIR BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT AND SETTLED INTO A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS INDICATED IN THE GREEN.
UPON ARRIVING AT THE SCENE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED AT REST WITH ALL THREE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THE NOSE WHEEL SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR LOWER LEG AXEL SUPPORT WAS BENT AT A FORTY-FIVE-DEGREE ANGLE, WRAPPING AROUND THE RIM OF THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS FLAT WITH NO OTHER OBVIOUS DAMAGE. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED AND FOUND NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, OR TAIL SECTION. MINOR DENTING IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR WAS OBSERVED. THE RIGHT WING TIP SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.
INSIDE THE FLIGHT DECK, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT MAIN TANKS WERE SUMPED FOR CONTAMINATION WITH NONE NOTED. THE MAIN FUEL GASCOLATOR WAS ALSO CHECKED WITH NO CONTAMINATION NOTED. A VERIFICATION OF FUEL QUANTITY WAS PERFORMED BY TURNING ON THE MASTER POWER SWITCH AND VERIFYING THE FUEL GAUGES. BOTH MAIN TANKS WERE FULL.
THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE COULD NOT BE STARTED AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE LACK OF GROUND CLEARANCE.
MAGNETO SWITCHES WERE OFF, MIXTURE AND THROTTLE WERE AT IDLE AND IDLE CUTOFF. PROP WAS FULL FORWARD. TRIM WAS IN CENTER AND LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN DOWN LOCK POSITION. FLAP HANDLE WAS IN RETRACTED POSITION.
REMOVED ENGINE UPPER AND LOWER COWLING TO INVESTIGATE FOR FURTHER DAMAGE. THE MOUNT APPEARED TO HAVE NO VISIBLE DAMAGE AND THE NOSE GEAR STRUCTURE WAS INTACT. NO SIGNS OF BENDING OR DEFORMATION. THE AIR FILTER WAS REMOVED AND WAS CLEAR TO THE EYE WITH SUN LIGHT BEING OBSERVED THROUGH IT. AT THIS TIME, NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WERE NOTED.
FSDO INCIDENT NUMBER FOR THIS EVENT IS: IGL0320240089
ATQA INCIDENT NUMBER FOR THE EVENT IS: AGL0324011
SAS RECORD NUMBER(S) ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVENT: GL03202404737