C206 pilot drags tail at small airport, does not discover damage until after next flight and still e...

Narrative:

Tail strike incident at center island, wa, on jun/xa/00. Time: XA15. I was dispatched to fly 3 people from anacortes, wa (74S), to a private airstrip on center island, wa, as a charter flight for a part 135 operator. I had about 25 hours in the cessna 206, the type assigned for this flight. I had not previously flown into this airport in a C206, but I was familiar with it from a number of flts in a C172. The WX was windy and gusty, with a strong (estimated 15 KT) easterly crosswind, landing direction south. The field has tall trees on all sides, is about 80 ft wide and 1500 ft long, and is too short to make a successful go around likely, once committed to land. I bounced on landing, and tried to force the airplane down, and induced a series of pilot induced oscillations, during which the tail struck the ground. I did not realize this had happened, and made a walkaround to inspect the gear, not noticing anything wrong. I then flew to waldron island, picked up 2 passenger, delivered them to anacortes, and returned to friday harbor, wa (fhr), for the night. I discovered the damage to the tailcone upon tying down the airplane. The tiedown ring was bent, and the fiberglas tailcone was cracked. I believed that the airplane was airworthy, based on my experience as an a&P mechanic, and that the damage did not meet the definition of substantial damage, per the NTSB. As my air carrier's office was closed, and was not open yet the following morning, I did not report it at that time. I flew to eastsound airport the following morning with 5 passenger, and took 2 on to anacortes. The airplane was written up there for maintenance. I was terminated for the incident, and the failure to report it per company procedure. Observations: this incident occurred at the end of a long day, during which high winds had been a constant factor in the 18-20 lndgs that had been made. Fatigue may have been a contributing factor, therefore. Additionally, flying into a field with little or no possibility of a safe go around may have led me to overreact on the initial bounce, rather than recovering in the usual manner, by adding power and allowing the airplane to settle back on the runway, which, I thought, would not leave enough room to stop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT DRAGS TAIL AT SMALL ARPT, DOES NOT DISCOVER DAMAGE UNTIL AFTER NEXT FLT AND STILL ELECTS TO FLY ANOTHER FLT WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OF HIS COMPANY.

Narrative: TAIL STRIKE INCIDENT AT CENTER ISLAND, WA, ON JUN/XA/00. TIME: XA15. I WAS DISPATCHED TO FLY 3 PEOPLE FROM ANACORTES, WA (74S), TO A PVT AIRSTRIP ON CENTER ISLAND, WA, AS A CHARTER FLT FOR A PART 135 OPERATOR. I HAD ABOUT 25 HRS IN THE CESSNA 206, THE TYPE ASSIGNED FOR THIS FLT. I HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT IN A C206, BUT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH IT FROM A NUMBER OF FLTS IN A C172. THE WX WAS WINDY AND GUSTY, WITH A STRONG (ESTIMATED 15 KT) EASTERLY XWIND, LNDG DIRECTION S. THE FIELD HAS TALL TREES ON ALL SIDES, IS ABOUT 80 FT WIDE AND 1500 FT LONG, AND IS TOO SHORT TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL GAR LIKELY, ONCE COMMITTED TO LAND. I BOUNCED ON LNDG, AND TRIED TO FORCE THE AIRPLANE DOWN, AND INDUCED A SERIES OF PLT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS, DURING WHICH THE TAIL STRUCK THE GND. I DID NOT REALIZE THIS HAD HAPPENED, AND MADE A WALKAROUND TO INSPECT THE GEAR, NOT NOTICING ANYTHING WRONG. I THEN FLEW TO WALDRON ISLAND, PICKED UP 2 PAX, DELIVERED THEM TO ANACORTES, AND RETURNED TO FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (FHR), FOR THE NIGHT. I DISCOVERED THE DAMAGE TO THE TAILCONE UPON TYING DOWN THE AIRPLANE. THE TIEDOWN RING WAS BENT, AND THE FIBERGLAS TAILCONE WAS CRACKED. I BELIEVED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AS AN A&P MECH, AND THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT MEET THE DEFINITION OF SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, PER THE NTSB. AS MY ACR'S OFFICE WAS CLOSED, AND WAS NOT OPEN YET THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I DID NOT RPT IT AT THAT TIME. I FLEW TO EASTSOUND ARPT THE FOLLOWING MORNING WITH 5 PAX, AND TOOK 2 ON TO ANACORTES. THE AIRPLANE WAS WRITTEN UP THERE FOR MAINT. I WAS TERMINATED FOR THE INCIDENT, AND THE FAILURE TO RPT IT PER COMPANY PROC. OBSERVATIONS: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A LONG DAY, DURING WHICH HIGH WINDS HAD BEEN A CONSTANT FACTOR IN THE 18-20 LNDGS THAT HAD BEEN MADE. FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, THEREFORE. ADDITIONALLY, FLYING INTO A FIELD WITH LITTLE OR NO POSSIBILITY OF A SAFE GAR MAY HAVE LED ME TO OVERREACT ON THE INITIAL BOUNCE, RATHER THAN RECOVERING IN THE USUAL MANNER, BY ADDING PWR AND ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE BACK ON THE RWY, WHICH, I THOUGHT, WOULD NOT LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP.

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.

Attributes
ACN	475622
Time
Date	200006
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Windshear other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 6
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 2550 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	475622
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Company

C206 pilot drags tail at small airport, does not discover damage until after next flight and still elects to fly another flight without notification of his company.