Narrative:

The pilot was in the rear seat of an old small aircraft with a passenger in the front seat. The aircraft was 'south-turned' to the active runway. The field is a private strip used by owner. The runway runs east/west and is a grass field. The aircraft was lined up towards the east to avoid the sun in the west. Winds were none too light and crosswind to the active (0 to 2 KTS). The pilot, seeing no obstructions during his taxi, initiated his takeoff roll. At the time that he rotated the tail to the horizontal position, a noise like a 'clump of dirt' striking the fuselage was heard, but not felt. The pilot flew back over the runway to determine any obvious damage. None noted, the pilot made an uneventful landing. During the flight and during an extended taxi no problems could be noted to the aircraft's controls or track in flight or on the ground. Total time for flight logged was 0.2 hours. Damage to the aircraft was to the underside fabric. Aircraft presently being repaired. Suggestion for prevention: request the owner of the property to paint his runway oil barrels (one of which the aircraft must have struck) international orange or remove them from his field, or place warning signs at each end of the runway notifying that the 'runway barrels' are present.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY CONDITION OBSTRUCTION NOT VISIBLE. SMA TAIL DRAGGER HITS RWY EDGE MARKER BARREL ON TKOF PROC.

Narrative: THE PLT WAS IN THE REAR SEAT OF AN OLD SMA WITH A PAX IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE ACFT WAS 'S-TURNED' TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE FIELD IS A PVT STRIP USED BY OWNER. THE RWY RUNS E/W AND IS A GRASS FIELD. THE ACFT WAS LINED UP TOWARDS THE E TO AVOID THE SUN IN THE W. WINDS WERE NONE TOO LIGHT AND XWIND TO THE ACTIVE (0 TO 2 KTS). THE PLT, SEEING NO OBSTRUCTIONS DURING HIS TAXI, INITIATED HIS TKOF ROLL. AT THE TIME THAT HE ROTATED THE TAIL TO THE HORIZ POS, A NOISE LIKE A 'CLUMP OF DIRT' STRIKING THE FUSELAGE WAS HEARD, BUT NOT FELT. THE PLT FLEW BACK OVER THE RWY TO DETERMINE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE. NONE NOTED, THE PLT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. DURING THE FLT AND DURING AN EXTENDED TAXI NO PROBS COULD BE NOTED TO THE ACFT'S CTLS OR TRACK IN FLT OR ON THE GND. TOTAL TIME FOR FLT LOGGED WAS 0.2 HRS. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS TO THE UNDERSIDE FABRIC. ACFT PRESENTLY BEING REPAIRED. SUGGESTION FOR PREVENTION: REQUEST THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY TO PAINT HIS RWY OIL BARRELS (ONE OF WHICH THE ACFT MUST HAVE STRUCK) INTL ORANGE OR REMOVE THEM FROM HIS FIELD, OR PLACE WARNING SIGNS AT EACH END OF THE RWY NOTIFYING THAT THE 'RWY BARRELS' ARE PRESENT.

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.