Narrative:

I was taking off from S16 which is a strip of beach on the washington coast designated as a state airport. Visibility was low but I was confident of major obstacle clearance as a left turn took me over the ocean. On takeoff roll, at rotation, I hit something. I was in radio contact with people on the ground who told me I hit a rock. I continued to fly the airplane. I flew back to bfi (my home base). 25 mi out, I called the tower and requested a low approach so they could inform me of the status of my nosewheel. They told me it appeared normal. I circled around to land. I planned a slow approach and intended to hold the nosewheel off as long as possible knowing that it may be weakened and could collapse on landing. I landed with power and held the nosewheel off as long as I could. When it touched down, the aircraft began to veer to the left. I tried to control it in order to get off the runway, but I came to a stop shortly before the exit. The runway was closed until the aircraft could be removed by an available FBO. What caused the problem was my failure to use full short field technique in order to lift off the ground in a timely fashion. Specifically, had I used 10 degrees of flaps, this incident never would have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 HIT A ROCK WHILE TAKING OFF FROM AN UNPREPARED SURFACE AT A STATE ARPT ON THE BEACH. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING OFF FROM S16 WHICH IS A STRIP OF BEACH ON THE WASHINGTON COAST DESIGNATED AS A STATE ARPT. VISIBILITY WAS LOW BUT I WAS CONFIDENT OF MAJOR OBSTACLE CLRNC AS A L TURN TOOK ME OVER THE OCEAN. ON TKOF ROLL, AT ROTATION, I HIT SOMETHING. I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH PEOPLE ON THE GND WHO TOLD ME I HIT A ROCK. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. I FLEW BACK TO BFI (MY HOME BASE). 25 MI OUT, I CALLED THE TWR AND REQUESTED A LOW APCH SO THEY COULD INFORM ME OF THE STATUS OF MY NOSEWHEEL. THEY TOLD ME IT APPEARED NORMAL. I CIRCLED AROUND TO LAND. I PLANNED A SLOW APCH AND INTENDED TO HOLD THE NOSEWHEEL OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE KNOWING THAT IT MAY BE WEAKENED AND COULD COLLAPSE ON LNDG. I LANDED WITH PWR AND HELD THE NOSEWHEEL OFF AS LONG AS I COULD. WHEN IT TOUCHED DOWN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE L. I TRIED TO CTL IT IN ORDER TO GET OFF THE RWY, BUT I CAME TO A STOP SHORTLY BEFORE THE EXIT. THE RWY WAS CLOSED UNTIL THE ACFT COULD BE REMOVED BY AN AVAILABLE FBO. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS MY FAILURE TO USE FULL SHORT FIELD TECHNIQUE IN ORDER TO LIFT OFF THE GND IN A TIMELY FASHION. SPECIFICALLY, HAD I USED 10 DEGS OF FLAPS, THIS INCIDENT NEVER WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

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.