2008-10 · NASA ASRS report 808911
PA28 ARROW TRIES TO POWER OUT OF THE SAND ON THE END OF A GRASS STRIP AND BREAKS NOSE GEAR STRUT.
THE ARPT IS A 'SOFT FIELD;' ALMOST ALL GRASS; WITH THE ENDS OF THE RWY BEING SAND. THE RWY IS 3000 FT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT OBSTRUCTIONS. MY ARROW WAS LIGHTLY LOADED (1 200 LB PLT; LESS THAN 40 LBS OF BAGGAGE; AND MISC EQUIP; SUCH AS OXYGEN) AND HALF TANKS. I CHOSE TO USE THE ENTIRE RWY FOR TKOF AS I NORMALLY DO WITH ALL BUT THE LONGEST RWYS; WHICH MEANT USING SAND. (OF COURSE; I NOW REGRET THIS DECISION.) I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY; EG; SAND TO DO MY RUN-UP. I EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTY TAXIING IN THE SAND. I HAVE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE TAXIING AND LNDG/TKOFS ON GRASS AND ALSO SNOW ON PAVEMENT AND GRAVEL WITH SOME SAND MIXED IN BUT I CANNOT CLAIM TO HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE ON PURE SAND. I HAD PRACTICED SIMULATED SOFT SHORT FIELD OPS WITH A CFII A FEW DAYS PRIOR JUST FOR PROFICIENCY; EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 3 SOFT FIELD LNDGS AND TKOFS WITHIN THE PAST YR. NOTE THAT PRIOR TO RUN-UP I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH RWY 33 TKOF DIRECTION AND TAXIED FORWARD A SHORT DISTANCE TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSEWHEEL. I APPLIED FULL PWR WITH THE INTENTION OF STARTING MY TKOF ROLL. I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PULL THE STICK FULL BACK FIRST. I SIMPLY DO NOT REMEMBER AND I WAS ALONE. THE PLANE DID NOT MOVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I THROTTLED BACK TO IDLE. AT THIS POINT I SHOULD HAVE (AND CERTAINLY WILL IN THE FUTURE) SHUTDOWN; GET OUT OF THE PLANE; AND ASSESS THE SITUATION AND FREE THE PLANE FROM THE APPARENT BEING STUCK IN THE SAND. I DID NOT SHUT DOWN. FOLLOWING PAST PRACTICE (NOTING THAT MY PREVIOUS ACFT WAS A SKYHAWK WITH VERY RUGGED GEAR) WHERE I HAD BEEN 'SLIGHTLY' STUCK; I AGAIN APPLIED FULL PWR IN AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE ACFT AND START MY TKOF ROLL. AT THIS POINT THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR COLLAPSED (BUT NOT THE MAINS) AND THE PROP DUG INTO THE SAND AND THE ENG STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED AND MY TRAINING 'KICKED IN.' I SHUT OFF THE SWITCHES AND THE IGNITION AND REMOVED THE KEY. I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE. ALL OF THIS WAS TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF FIRE; THOUGH THAT CHANCE WAS SMALL. I DELIBERATELY CHOSE NOT TO MOVE THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF FOR FEAR THAT; MONTHS FROM THEN; I WOULD FORGET TO SET IT BACK PRIOR TO TKOF. I OPENED THE DOOR; YELLED TO ONLOOKERS RUNNING TOWARDS ME THAT I WAS OK. I THEN EXITED THE ACFT; PHONED FSS TO HAVE THEM POST AN ADVISORY FOR PLTS TO USE CAUTION FOR AN ACFT 'STUCK' ON THE RWY. I REFUSED EARLY ATTEMPTS TO MOVE THE ACFT FROM THE RWY UNSAFELY. I SECURED THE SVCS OF AN A&P EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PROB AND A FORKLIFT OPERATOR AND SAFELY MOVED THE ACFT OFF THE RWY. THE NOSEWHEEL TRUNION (FORK) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN IN TWO CAUSING THE GEAR COLLAPSE AND PROP STRIKE. WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? IF I CTLED MY IMPATIENCE I MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED THIS MISHAP (NOT CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT PER MY LEGAL ADVICE). OF COURSE; I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT AFTER THE FIRST THROTTLE-UP FAILED TO MOVE THE ACFT. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE STAYED OFF OF THE SAND. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISHAP IN 25 YRS OF ALL WX FLYING AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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