2003-07 · NASA ASRS report 586252
A PROP STRIKE IN AN RV-4 WHEN ACFT ENCOUNTERS A JETBLAST FROM A DEP MD-80 AT IAH; TX.
I WAS PIC IN RV4. I HAD TAXIED FROM FBO AT HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL KIAH AS DIRECTED BY GND CTL TO THE END OF RWY 15R VIA TXWY WC TO STUB WC ANTICIPATING DEP TO DEST GEORGETOWN KGTU. I HELD SHORT OF THE RWY HOLD LINE AND INFORMED TWR I WAS READY FOR DEP IN SEQUENCE. WHILE HOLDING ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY; I OBSERVED NUMEROUS TRANSPORT JET DEPS FROM THE E SIDE TXWY TO THE RWY; TXWY WC; WITH A LONG LINE WAITING IN SEQUENCE. AFTER HOLDING APPROX 10-15 MINS; I INFORMED THE TWR MY ENG WAS HEATING UP (RISING OIL TEMP) AND ASKED FOR DEP WHEN ABLE. I WAS CLRED INTO 'POS AND HOLD; CAUTION; WAKE TURB' BY TWR. I OBSERVED THE MOST RECENT DEP; AN MD80 TYPE ACFT; NOW APPROX 3000 FT DOWN THE RWY ON THE TKOF ROLL. I TAXIED CAUTIOUSLY FORWARD; AWARE THAT THE JETBLAST FROM THE DEPARTING ACFT ENGS MIGHT STILL BE LINGERING. I WAS AWARE FROM ATIS THAT THE WINDS WERE DIRECTLY INTO MY NOSE AS I TAXIED AT 10-15 KTS. AS I MOVED FORWARD AT APPROX 2 KTS; I HELD THE STICK FULLY AFT. THE TAIL OF THE ACFT LIFTED TO A LEVEL FLT POS; WITH A TURBULENT FEELING IN THE STICK. I WAS AWARE THIS WAS MOST LIKELY JETBLAST TURB. THE TAIL LOWERED SLIGHTLY; THEN ROSE AGAIN VERY SLOWLY TO A TAIL HIGH POS. I WAS AWARE AT THIS POINT THE PROP WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE RWY. I RAPIDLY MOVED THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE TOGETHER TO LOW IDLE/CUTOFF. THE PROP STRUCK THE RWY 2-4 TIMES AS THE ENG STOPPED. THE ACFT CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE; CONTACTING JUST UNDER THE CARB AIR INTAKE AND THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WHEEL PANTS. I SECURED ALL SWITCHES; FUEL OFF; MADE 1 CALL TO TWR OF MY PROB; EXITED THE ACFT; LOWERED THE TAIL TO THE RWY GENTLY AND WALKED THE ACFT CLR OF THE RWY HOLD LINE W OF THE RWY AND AWAITED ASSISTANCE. THE ENTIRE EPISODE FROM MY TAXIING FORWARD TO MY MANUAL EXIT OF THE RWY WAS APPROX 3-5 MINS. THIS NOSE TIPPING EXCURSION WAS VERY SLOW AND I WAS PHYSICALLY UNHARMED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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