Narrative:

Mrs. X, a farmer, had gotten permission for us to land at bennington, ks. Landed at approximately AM30 on apr/fri/93. We were told the runway was stone. After we landed, it (the strip) was 1/3 sod, center 1/3 gravel, and 1/3 sod. At preflight at approximately PM30 noticed nick on propeller. Walked about 1 city block on runway from south. Wind was 5-10 KTS from the southeast, local pilot said north end of runway was higher. Elected to taxi to north end for runway 18 departure. Decided to takeoff on right side of runway 18. Appeared to have wider sod and wanted to avoid rock chips to propeller. Elected to do a soft field takeoff to clear propeller. Approximately 500-600 ft in takeoff roll, aircraft veered to right, and went through ditch and came to stop on bank. Evacuate/evacuationed aircraft. No injury to me or wife. Did notice damage to propeller and landing gear. Called FSS and reported loss of control. Told mr. Y (FAA) we had stalled on takeoff. Explained damage and location. That night, after wife and I settled down, we both agreed that we were not airborne. Next day I went back to field and walked the takeoff roll area. Tire marks were on sod until close to impact. I am sure aircraft was not airborne. There were soft spots on the shoulder of the runway due to prior snow and rain. Soft spots combined with the slope toward ditch, with southeast wind, and differential rolling resistance, right main tire on sod and left main tire on gravel caused aircraft to veer right. Over concern with propeller nick caused attention to be focused on propeller clearance. Aircraft never left ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA VEERED OFF A SOFT SOD AND GRAVEL RWY AND DAMAGED THE PROP AND R MAIN GEAR.

Narrative: MRS. X, A FARMER, HAD GOTTEN PERMISSION FOR US TO LAND AT BENNINGTON, KS. LANDED AT APPROX AM30 ON APR/FRI/93. WE WERE TOLD THE RWY WAS STONE. AFTER WE LANDED, IT (THE STRIP) WAS 1/3 SOD, CTR 1/3 GRAVEL, AND 1/3 SOD. AT PREFLT AT APPROX PM30 NOTICED NICK ON PROP. WALKED ABOUT 1 CITY BLOCK ON RWY FROM S. WIND WAS 5-10 KTS FROM THE SE, LCL PLT SAID N END OF RWY WAS HIGHER. ELECTED TO TAXI TO N END FOR RWY 18 DEP. DECIDED TO TKOF ON R SIDE OF RWY 18. APPEARED TO HAVE WIDER SOD AND WANTED TO AVOID ROCK CHIPS TO PROP. ELECTED TO DO A SOFT FIELD TKOF TO CLR PROP. APPROX 500-600 FT IN TKOF ROLL, ACFT VEERED TO R, AND WENT THROUGH DITCH AND CAME TO STOP ON BANK. EVACED ACFT. NO INJURY TO ME OR WIFE. DID NOTICE DAMAGE TO PROP AND LNDG GEAR. CALLED FSS AND RPTED LOSS OF CTL. TOLD MR. Y (FAA) WE HAD STALLED ON TKOF. EXPLAINED DAMAGE AND LOCATION. THAT NIGHT, AFTER WIFE AND I SETTLED DOWN, WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE WERE NOT AIRBORNE. NEXT DAY I WENT BACK TO FIELD AND WALKED THE TKOF ROLL AREA. TIRE MARKS WERE ON SOD UNTIL CLOSE TO IMPACT. I AM SURE ACFT WAS NOT AIRBORNE. THERE WERE SOFT SPOTS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE RWY DUE TO PRIOR SNOW AND RAIN. SOFT SPOTS COMBINED WITH THE SLOPE TOWARD DITCH, WITH SE WIND, AND DIFFERENTIAL ROLLING RESISTANCE, R MAIN TIRE ON SOD AND L MAIN TIRE ON GRAVEL CAUSED ACFT TO VEER R. OVER CONCERN WITH PROP NICK CAUSED ATTN TO BE FOCUSED ON PROP CLRNC. ACFT NEVER LEFT GND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.