An A36 pilot experienced a propeller strike and minor aircraft damage when the aircraft settled to t...

Narrative:

Having landed after a repositioning flight of my aircraft from mht to bed at night; I decided to complete a few touch-and-goes and a few stop-and-goes to facilitate meeting the obligations of night currency. On my third touch-and-go; I applied power for takeoff; lifted off the ground; established a positive climb rate; began gear extraction; and was applying right rudder to overcome the engines 'P' factor; when the seat slipped back in the tracks. What followed is not totally clear but as best as I can reconstruct events; I initially pulled back on the yoke and immediately overcompensated by pushing the yoke forward. The aircraft pitched forward and I pulled back on the yoke. I heard a light twang just at the point where I was transitioning to a nose-up attitude. At this point; I was committed to the takeoff and climbed out and went around once in the pattern; landed; taxi to my hangar and shut down. When I examined the propeller; I observed that about 2 inches of the 3-BLADED propeller tips were bent back about 90 degrees. The next day; when my mechanic examined the damage; he observed that part of the pilot side inboard gear door was scraped. There was no other damage to the fuselage. During the go around; I did not observe any unusual vibrations or malfunctions and the engine ran smoothly. 4 days earlier; I'd taken the aircraft to the shop to have the mechanic check out some minor squawks including the seat not latching in the rearward position. He fixed the other squawks and he informed me that the seat track holes at the rear of the track had been filled as the result of an airworthiness directive; but there was a fix available; that would allow the seat to be latched in the rearward location. I requested that he purchase the hardware to install it when it was available. I am a shade over 6 ft tall with very long legs and the existing track's most rearward position has me uncomfortably close to the yoke. Moreover; I obviously had not paid enough attention to making certain the seat was properly latched. I will in the future take measures to make absolutely certain the seat is latched and will; in addition; have the rearward latching fix; described by my mechanic; installed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A36 PLT EXPERIENCED A PROP STRIKE AND MINOR ACFT DAMAGE WHEN THE ACFT SETTLED TO THE RWY BECAUSE THE PLT'S SEAT SLID FULL AFT ON A TOUCH-AND-GO MANEUVER.

Narrative: HAVING LANDED AFTER A REPOSITIONING FLT OF MY ACFT FROM MHT TO BED AT NIGHT; I DECIDED TO COMPLETE A FEW TOUCH-AND-GOES AND A FEW STOP-AND-GOES TO FACILITATE MEETING THE OBLIGATIONS OF NIGHT CURRENCY. ON MY THIRD TOUCH-AND-GO; I APPLIED PWR FOR TKOF; LIFTED OFF THE GND; ESTABLISHED A POSITIVE CLB RATE; BEGAN GEAR EXTRACTION; AND WAS APPLYING R RUDDER TO OVERCOME THE ENGS 'P' FACTOR; WHEN THE SEAT SLIPPED BACK IN THE TRACKS. WHAT FOLLOWED IS NOT TOTALLY CLR BUT AS BEST AS I CAN RECONSTRUCT EVENTS; I INITIALLY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND IMMEDIATELY OVERCOMPENSATED BY PUSHING THE YOKE FORWARD. THE ACFT PITCHED FORWARD AND I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE. I HEARD A LIGHT TWANG JUST AT THE POINT WHERE I WAS TRANSITIONING TO A NOSE-UP ATTITUDE. AT THIS POINT; I WAS COMMITTED TO THE TKOF AND CLBED OUT AND WENT AROUND ONCE IN THE PATTERN; LANDED; TAXI TO MY HANGAR AND SHUT DOWN. WHEN I EXAMINED THE PROP; I OBSERVED THAT ABOUT 2 INCHES OF THE 3-BLADED PROP TIPS WERE BENT BACK ABOUT 90 DEGS. THE NEXT DAY; WHEN MY MECH EXAMINED THE DAMAGE; HE OBSERVED THAT PART OF THE PLT SIDE INBOARD GEAR DOOR WAS SCRAPED. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE. DURING THE GAR; I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS OR MALFUNCTIONS AND THE ENG RAN SMOOTHLY. 4 DAYS EARLIER; I'D TAKEN THE ACFT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE THE MECH CHK OUT SOME MINOR SQUAWKS INCLUDING THE SEAT NOT LATCHING IN THE REARWARD POS. HE FIXED THE OTHER SQUAWKS AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THE SEAT TRACK HOLES AT THE REAR OF THE TRACK HAD BEEN FILLED AS THE RESULT OF AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE; BUT THERE WAS A FIX AVAILABLE; THAT WOULD ALLOW THE SEAT TO BE LATCHED IN THE REARWARD LOCATION. I REQUESTED THAT HE PURCHASE THE HARDWARE TO INSTALL IT WHEN IT WAS AVAILABLE. I AM A SHADE OVER 6 FT TALL WITH VERY LONG LEGS AND THE EXISTING TRACK'S MOST REARWARD POS HAS ME UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO THE YOKE. MOREOVER; I OBVIOUSLY HAD NOT PAID ENOUGH ATTN TO MAKING CERTAIN THE SEAT WAS PROPERLY LATCHED. I WILL IN THE FUTURE TAKE MEASURES TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THE SEAT IS LATCHED AND WILL; IN ADDITION; HAVE THE REARWARD LATCHING FIX; DESCRIBED BY MY MECH; INSTALLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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	711582
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 264 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	711582
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

An A36 pilot experienced a propeller strike and minor aircraft damage when the aircraft settled to the runway because the pilot's seat slid full aft on a touch-and-go maneuver.