Narrative:

Takeoff from rancho vallecito, the right wing struck sage brush off the right wing. Corrected by moving the plane left. Left main wheel went onto the dirt. Nosewheel came down due to loss of ground speed. Nosewheel hit rut on side of runway causing it to fold under plane. Cowling nose came down causing plane to stop abruptly. Propeller blades bent. Although I had landed the plane safely earlier, upon closer inspection of the runway, I saw that it had not been maintained. No cross for closed runway warning pilots that runway was inactive! Air map also showed airport as active. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had planned on landing at agua caliente springs, L54, but had misidented the airports and landed at 46CA by mistake. Due to the runway's condition, the pilot planned on a short field takeoff technique, so a nose high attitude was established. The runway was extremely narrow. Reporter admitted that he went too far to the left on takeoff so as to avoid the sage brush on the right, thereby exiting the left edge of the runway. The aircraft was a rental. The sheriff and FAA were contacted. The aircraft is to be hauled out by truck. The owner of the strip was not available for comments. Reporter said that if he had been in a C172 the incident would not have occurred as the high wing would have been above the brush. Reporter has 400 total hours, with 70 hours in type. Reporter was counseled about the use of private airports and the fact that the symbol for a hard surfaced runway as displayed for 46CA only indicates that it is over 1500 ft long, not that it is in svcable condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 WARRIOR PVT PLT EXPERIENCES A RWY EXCURSION DURING TKOF, FOLDING THE NOSE GEAR AND DAMAGING THE ACFT. A PVT ARPT, RANCHO VALLECITO, 46CA, CA.

Narrative: TKOF FROM RANCHO VALLECITO, THE R WING STRUCK SAGE BRUSH OFF THE R WING. CORRECTED BY MOVING THE PLANE L. L MAIN WHEEL WENT ONTO THE DIRT. NOSEWHEEL CAME DOWN DUE TO LOSS OF GND SPD. NOSEWHEEL HIT RUT ON SIDE OF RWY CAUSING IT TO FOLD UNDER PLANE. COWLING NOSE CAME DOWN CAUSING PLANE TO STOP ABRUPTLY. PROP BLADES BENT. ALTHOUGH I HAD LANDED THE PLANE SAFELY EARLIER, UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE RWY, I SAW THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINED. NO CROSS FOR CLOSED RWY WARNING PLTS THAT RWY WAS INACTIVE! AIR MAP ALSO SHOWED ARPT AS ACTIVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAD PLANNED ON LNDG AT AGUA CALIENTE SPRINGS, L54, BUT HAD MISIDENTED THE ARPTS AND LANDED AT 46CA BY MISTAKE. DUE TO THE RWY'S CONDITION, THE PLT PLANNED ON A SHORT FIELD TKOF TECHNIQUE, SO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WAS ESTABLISHED. THE RWY WAS EXTREMELY NARROW. RPTR ADMITTED THAT HE WENT TOO FAR TO THE L ON TKOF SO AS TO AVOID THE SAGE BRUSH ON THE R, THEREBY EXITING THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS A RENTAL. THE SHERIFF AND FAA WERE CONTACTED. THE ACFT IS TO BE HAULED OUT BY TRUCK. THE OWNER OF THE STRIP WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENTS. RPTR SAID THAT IF HE HAD BEEN IN A C172 THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AS THE HIGH WING WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOVE THE BRUSH. RPTR HAS 400 TOTAL HRS, WITH 70 HRS IN TYPE. RPTR WAS COUNSELED ABOUT THE USE OF PVT ARPTS AND THE FACT THAT THE SYMBOL FOR A HARD SURFACED RWY AS DISPLAYED FOR 46CA ONLY INDICATES THAT IT IS OVER 1500 FT LONG, NOT THAT IT IS IN SVCABLE CONDITION.

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.