A C177 aborts its takeoff attempt at 10 ft AGL and suffers a wingtip strike during a runway excursio...

Attributes
ACN	595611
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
State Reference	WY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 10
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14.6 flight time total : 150 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	595611
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 5534
ASRS Report	595572
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Took off from 12V shortly after doing complete preflight and run-up. Also checked runway for deer and fog. There was thick fog in the area, but it was patchy. After lining up for takeoff approximately 1/2 the runway was visible with our landing light. Runway lights only extend to 1/2 the runway (runway 25). After starting our takeoff roll approximately 1/2 way from the runway we ran into a thick patch of fog resulting in zero visibility. Because the runway is narrow, in order to keep the wheels from falling off the edge of the runway we (I and my instructor) pulled the wheels off the ground to continue our acceleration with no ground effect. Our speed at the time was approximately 50 KTS or just over. We were looking for approximately 60 KTS in order to climb, but found the plane unable to accelerate. After waiting a few seconds we tried to climb since we knew we were running out of runway. We were very reluctant to set the plane back down since we were in zero visibility. We never got a stall buzzer to go off, but the plane did begin to decelerate, waffle, and veer to the left so we put the nose down and landed rough into tall grass to the left and beyond the runway. It wasn't until later that we discovered that the left wing had struck the ground and the right tail hit a runway light. While taxiing back to the runway we hit a hole covered by a pallet resulting in a propeller strike. Supplemental information from acn 595572: we had a vehicle drive the length of the runway to check for deer and visibility. We taxied to end of runway for preflight checks and run-up. The plane accelerated to approximately liftoff speed as we entered an area of fog with zero visibility and less dense air. The aircraft would not climb or accelerate out of ground effect. We aborted takeoff because of known rising terrain, shortness of remaining runway and lack of visibility, striking left wing and stabilator. Additional damage occurred when we dropped into a hole alongside runway while attempting a taxiing return to the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177 ABORTS ITS TKOF ATTEMPT AT 10 FT AGL AND SUFFERS A WINGTIP STRIKE DURING A RWY EXCURSION. PROP DAMAGE INCURRED ON TAXI BACK DURING A NIGHT OP AT A NON TWRED ARPT AT 12V, WV.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM 12V SHORTLY AFTER DOING COMPLETE PREFLT AND RUN-UP. ALSO CHKED RWY FOR DEER AND FOG. THERE WAS THICK FOG IN THE AREA, BUT IT WAS PATCHY. AFTER LINING UP FOR TKOF APPROX 1/2 THE RWY WAS VISIBLE WITH OUR LNDG LIGHT. RWY LIGHTS ONLY EXTEND TO 1/2 THE RWY (RWY 25). AFTER STARTING OUR TKOF ROLL APPROX 1/2 WAY FROM THE RWY WE RAN INTO A THICK PATCH OF FOG RESULTING IN ZERO VISIBILITY. BECAUSE THE RWY IS NARROW, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WHEELS FROM FALLING OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY WE (I AND MY INSTRUCTOR) PULLED THE WHEELS OFF THE GND TO CONTINUE OUR ACCELERATION WITH NO GND EFFECT. OUR SPD AT THE TIME WAS APPROX 50 KTS OR JUST OVER. WE WERE LOOKING FOR APPROX 60 KTS IN ORDER TO CLB, BUT FOUND THE PLANE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. AFTER WAITING A FEW SECONDS WE TRIED TO CLB SINCE WE KNEW WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF RWY. WE WERE VERY RELUCTANT TO SET THE PLANE BACK DOWN SINCE WE WERE IN ZERO VISIBILITY. WE NEVER GOT A STALL BUZZER TO GO OFF, BUT THE PLANE DID BEGIN TO DECELERATE, WAFFLE, AND VEER TO THE L SO WE PUT THE NOSE DOWN AND LANDED ROUGH INTO TALL GRASS TO THE L AND BEYOND THE RWY. IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER THAT WE DISCOVERED THAT THE L WING HAD STRUCK THE GND AND THE R TAIL HIT A RWY LIGHT. WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE RWY WE HIT A HOLE COVERED BY A PALLET RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595572: WE HAD A VEHICLE DRIVE THE LENGTH OF THE RWY TO CHK FOR DEER AND VISIBILITY. WE TAXIED TO END OF RWY FOR PREFLT CHKS AND RUN-UP. THE PLANE ACCELERATED TO APPROX LIFTOFF SPD AS WE ENTERED AN AREA OF FOG WITH ZERO VISIBILITY AND LESS DENSE AIR. THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLB OR ACCELERATE OUT OF GND EFFECT. WE ABORTED TKOF BECAUSE OF KNOWN RISING TERRAIN, SHORTNESS OF REMAINING RWY AND LACK OF VISIBILITY, STRIKING L WING AND STABILATOR. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OCCURRED WHEN WE DROPPED INTO A HOLE ALONGSIDE RWY WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAXIING RETURN TO THE RWY.

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.

A C177 aborts its takeoff attempt at 10 ft AGL and suffers a wingtip strike during a runway excursion. Propeller damage incurred on taxi back during a night operation at a non twred airport at 12V, wv.