What happened
A pilot was operating an air taxi flight departing from a rural village runway with two passengers. During the takeoff roll, the left main wheel of the aircraft entered a mud puddle located in the center of the runway surface, causing the airplane to veer to the left.
In response to the veer, the pilot applied a rightward correction and raised the nose to lift the aircraft into ground effect to avoid further water patches. Following a slight descent, the pilot lowered the nose to increase airspeed and climbed away from the runway to continue to the destination airport.
Upon landing at the destination, the pilot identified damage to the outboard end of the left horizontal stabilizer. The operator reported that the aircraft had struck a runway edge light during the takeoff event.
The investigation
An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the aircraft and determined that the damage to the stabilizer required the replacement of the outboard nose rib. Investigation into the airport conditions revealed that potholes were present along the entire length of the runway, according to the Airport Facility Directory. It was also noted that the runway had been graded approximately two weeks prior to the accident.