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A PT17 stearman was unable to climb or maintain altitude after takeoff from a grass strip due to an apparent tailwind or downdraft resulting in an off airport landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 426347 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gga0 |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 20275 flight time type : 79 |
| ASRS Report | 426347 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 55 |
| ASRS Report | 426346 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Takeoff in the stearman was with pilot, passenger and a full load of fuel from an uncontrolled 2500 ft grass strip. Windsock indicated calm winds, however, the field is surrounded by trees which can mask or cause swirling winds. Runup and takeoff were normal with all engine parameters normal. Airborne and indicating 60 mph, started a gentle climb and a slight left turn to clear trees at the southeast end of the field. As we cleared the top of the trees, noticed that airspeed was bleeding off. Rechked mixture and power levers full forward and with continued decrease in airspeed lowered nose slightly to regain speed. As speed continued to decrease (I suspect from a slight tailwind or downdraft), I lowered the nose to maintain above stall speed. With rising terrain ahead and no increase in performance, I elected to make a precautionary landing in an unpopulated open field located just northeast (1/2 - 3/4 of a mi) of the departure strip. The negative performance (tailwind and/or downdraft) encountered after takeoff, combined with the marginal performance of the aircraft (due in part to a wooden propeller) left me with no margin for error and resulted in the precautionary landing. Will definitely reconsider taking off with a full fuel load when it is not required and only consider takeoff with a known headwind. Also a more efficient propeller would improve takeoff performance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PT17 STEARMAN WAS UNABLE TO CLB OR MAINTAIN ALT AFTER TKOF FROM A GRASS STRIP DUE TO AN APPARENT TAILWIND OR DOWNDRAFT RESULTING IN AN OFF ARPT LNDG.
Narrative: TKOF IN THE STEARMAN WAS WITH PLT, PAX AND A FULL LOAD OF FUEL FROM AN UNCTLED 2500 FT GRASS STRIP. WINDSOCK INDICATED CALM WINDS, HOWEVER, THE FIELD IS SURROUNDED BY TREES WHICH CAN MASK OR CAUSE SWIRLING WINDS. RUNUP AND TKOF WERE NORMAL WITH ALL ENG PARAMETERS NORMAL. AIRBORNE AND INDICATING 60 MPH, STARTED A GENTLE CLB AND A SLIGHT L TURN TO CLR TREES AT THE SE END OF THE FIELD. AS WE CLRED THE TOP OF THE TREES, NOTICED THAT AIRSPD WAS BLEEDING OFF. RECHKED MIXTURE AND PWR LEVERS FULL FORWARD AND WITH CONTINUED DECREASE IN AIRSPD LOWERED NOSE SLIGHTLY TO REGAIN SPD. AS SPD CONTINUED TO DECREASE (I SUSPECT FROM A SLIGHT TAILWIND OR DOWNDRAFT), I LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN ABOVE STALL SPD. WITH RISING TERRAIN AHEAD AND NO INCREASE IN PERFORMANCE, I ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN AN UNPOPULATED OPEN FIELD LOCATED JUST NE (1/2 - 3/4 OF A MI) OF THE DEP STRIP. THE NEGATIVE PERFORMANCE (TAILWIND AND/OR DOWNDRAFT) ENCOUNTERED AFTER TKOF, COMBINED WITH THE MARGINAL PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT (DUE IN PART TO A WOODEN PROP) LEFT ME WITH NO MARGIN FOR ERROR AND RESULTED IN THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. WILL DEFINITELY RECONSIDER TAKING OFF WITH A FULL FUEL LOAD WHEN IT IS NOT REQUIRED AND ONLY CONSIDER TKOF WITH A KNOWN HEADWIND. ALSO A MORE EFFICIENT PROP WOULD IMPROVE TKOF PERFORMANCE.
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.