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A C172 pilot, in position on the runway, is hit by a dust devil that raises the tail of his aircraft and causes the propeller to strike the surface.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 373734 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : l15 |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 210 |
| ASRS Report | 373734 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On jul/thu/97, at XA15 pm (local) I was instructed to taxi into position and hold for takeoff runway 18 henderson. Upon doing so I noticed the wind blowing dust at the opposite end of the runway and to the west. The tower controller then advised me to hold for a dust devil. Tower then called and advised application of full brakes. I confirmed my feet were firmly planted on the brakes. The dust devil tracked east, hit the runway and tracked north straight to my idling fully braked aircraft. The devil lifted the plane slightly from the ground then lowered it and suddenly raised its tail causing the propeller and left wing to strike the ground. The aircraft is a C172. In the future, the only additional action I would take is to shut down the engine to lessen the chance of propeller damage.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172 PLT, IN POS ON THE RWY, IS HIT BY A DUST DEVIL THAT RAISES THE TAIL OF HIS ACFT AND CAUSES THE PROP TO STRIKE THE SURFACE.
Narrative: ON JUL/THU/97, AT XA15 PM (LCL) I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD FOR TKOF RWY 18 HENDERSON. UPON DOING SO I NOTICED THE WIND BLOWING DUST AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY AND TO THE W. THE TWR CTLR THEN ADVISED ME TO HOLD FOR A DUST DEVIL. TWR THEN CALLED AND ADVISED APPLICATION OF FULL BRAKES. I CONFIRMED MY FEET WERE FIRMLY PLANTED ON THE BRAKES. THE DUST DEVIL TRACKED E, HIT THE RWY AND TRACKED N STRAIGHT TO MY IDLING FULLY BRAKED ACFT. THE DEVIL LIFTED THE PLANE SLIGHTLY FROM THE GND THEN LOWERED IT AND SUDDENLY RAISED ITS TAIL CAUSING THE PROP AND L WING TO STRIKE THE GND. THE ACFT IS A C172. IN THE FUTURE, THE ONLY ADDITIONAL ACTION I WOULD TAKE IS TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF PROP DAMAGE.
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.