Air taxi on repos flight flies low and encounters down draft. Propeller hits ground.

Attributes
ACN	280192
Time
Date	199408
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ctb
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8300 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	280192
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was repositioning the aircraft for a passenger pick up. I climbed up to 500 ft AGL plus or minus a few feet for the short hop which is about 30 NM. It was a hot afternoon with a lot of convective turbulence and not much wind. There were a few small build ups in the area but nothing big. As I approached from the east, I began to get into moderate turbulence and downdrafts. Just after entering the area of turbulence I hit a down draft that I did not recover from until very close to the ground at which point my left propeller struck the ground but I was able to recover and continue to my destination. After landing I discovered I had bent all 3 blades. There was no other damage to the aircraft. The only reason I can come up with for the down draft is that I was in a microburst area because I had full power on the aircraft and could not get it to climb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ON REPOS FLT FLIES LOW AND ENCOUNTERS DOWN DRAFT. PROP HITS GND.

Narrative: I WAS REPOSITIONING THE ACFT FOR A PAX PICK UP. I CLBED UP TO 500 FT AGL PLUS OR MINUS A FEW FEET FOR THE SHORT HOP WHICH IS ABOUT 30 NM. IT WAS A HOT AFTERNOON WITH A LOT OF CONVECTIVE TURB AND NOT MUCH WIND. THERE WERE A FEW SMALL BUILD UPS IN THE AREA BUT NOTHING BIG. AS I APCHED FROM THE E, I BEGAN TO GET INTO MODERATE TURB AND DOWNDRAFTS. JUST AFTER ENTERING THE AREA OF TURB I HIT A DOWN DRAFT THAT I DID NOT RECOVER FROM UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO THE GND AT WHICH POINT MY L PROP STRUCK THE GND BUT I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND CONTINUE TO MY DEST. AFTER LNDG I DISCOVERED I HAD BENT ALL 3 BLADES. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE ONLY REASON I CAN COME UP WITH FOR THE DOWN DRAFT IS THAT I WAS IN A MICROBURST AREA BECAUSE I HAD FULL PWR ON THE ACFT AND COULD NOT GET IT TO CLB.

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.