CEN19LA173

The pilot was practicing short-field takeoffs from a 3,120-ft soft, turf runway with 800 ft available; the airplane lifted off the ground with about 400 ft of runway remaining. According to the pilot, a light crosswind was present during the takeoff, but the wind may have shifted to a quartering tailwind. During initial climb, the pilot stated he attempted to accelerate briefly in ground effort and subsequently noticed the airplane was climbing poorly and the flight controls "felt sluggish." Unable to clear a line of trees about 300 ft beyond the end of the runway, the pilot pitched down to avoid stalling the airplane and impacted trees. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the airplane's weight and the ambient conditions, the manufacturer specified that a takeoff distance to clear a 50-ft obstacle was about 920 ft. With a 5 knot tailwind, the takeoff distance to clear a 50 ft obstacle was about 1,100 ft. Further, during the initial climb toward oncoming trees, with little margin for error, the pilot most likely did not adequately accelerate the airplane while in ground effect, as is needed for a soft-field takeoff. Instead, the pilot most likely attempted to climb at a slow speed, which resulted in a settling effect and the inability to clear trees near the departure end of the runway.

***This factual report was modified on October 22, 2020. Please see the docket for the original report.*** On June 13, 2019, about 1935 central daylight time, an amateur-built Just Aircraft Highlander airplane, N324SB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Rockin M Airport (T14), Quinlan, Texas. The pilot suffered minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was practicing short-field takeoffs that included use of soft-field takeoff procedures to clear a 50 ft obstacle at T14. The airport owner marked a starting position about 800 ft from the end of the 3,120 ft runway and a line of trees was located about 300 ft beyond the end of the runway. From the marked starting position on the runway, the pilot performed three solo takeoffs with a ground roll of about 200 ft. After the practice takeoffs, the pilot returned to load the passenger and they lifted off with a ground roll of about 400 ft. During the soft-field takeoff procedure, the pilot stated he attempted to accelerate briefly in ground effect before climbing out. He noticed the airplane was performing poorly and the flight controls "felt sluggish." Unable to clear trees off the end of the runway without potentially stalling the airplane, the pilot elected to pitch the nose down and then impacted into shorter trees, damaging the right wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine test runs revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated the airplane's weight was about 60 lbs less than maximum gross and that a light crosswind was present that may have shifted to a light quartering tailwind. Manufacturer specifications predicted takeoff distance to clear a 50 ft obstacle as 800 ft. The pilot operating handbook recommended increasing takeoff distance by 10% for each 1,000 ft that field elevation was above sea level, 10% for each 18°F that temperature was above 60°F, and 20% for each 5 knots of tailwind. Based on the ambient conditions at the time of the accident, predicted takeoff distance to clear a 50 ft obstacle was about 920 ft without any tailwind and about 1,100 ft with 5 knots of tailwind. The Federal Aviation Administration Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-38) contains the following information for a soft-field takeoff: After the airplane becomes airborne, the pilot should gently lower the nose with the wheels clear of the surface to allow the airplane to accelerate to Vy, or Vx if obstacles must be cleared. … An attempt to climb prematurely or too steeply may cause the airplane to settle back to the surface as a result of the loss of ground effect. … During the transition out of the ground effect area, the pilot should not attempt to climb out of ground effect before reaching the sufficient climb airspeed, as this may result in the airplane being unable to climbfurther, even with full power applied. Therefore, it is essential that the airplane remain in ground effect until at least Vx is reached.