Narrative:

The airport is a 'soft field;' almost all grass; with the ends of the runway being sand. The runway is 3000 ft without significant obstructions. My arrow was lightly loaded (1 200 pound pilot; less than 40 pounds of baggage; and miscellaneous equipment; such as oxygen) and half tanks. I chose to use the entire runway for takeoff as I normally do with all but the longest runways; which meant using sand. (Of course; I now regret this decision.) I taxied to the end of the runway; eg; sand to do my run-up. I experienced no difficulty taxiing in the sand. I have had a fair amount of experience taxiing and landing/takeoffs on grass and also snow on pavement and gravel with some sand mixed in but I cannot claim to have previous experience on pure sand. I had practiced simulated soft short field operations with a cfii a few days prior just for proficiency; even though I have 3 soft field lndgs and takeoffs within the past yr. Note that prior to run-up I aligned the aircraft with runway 33 takeoff direction and taxied forward a short distance to straighten the nosewheel. I applied full power with the intention of starting my takeoff roll. I may have forgotten to pull the stick full back first. I simply do not remember and I was alone. The plane did not move. After a few seconds I throttled back to idle. At this point I should have (and certainly will in the future) shutdown; get out of the plane; and assess the situation and free the plane from the apparent being stuck in the sand. I did not shut down. Following past practice (noting that my previous aircraft was a skyhawk with very rugged gear) where I had been 'slightly' stuck; I again applied full power in an attempt to free the aircraft and start my takeoff roll. At this point the nosewheel gear collapsed (but not the mains) and the propeller dug into the sand and the engine stopped. I immediately realized what happened and my training 'kicked in.' I shut off the switches and the ignition and removed the key. I pulled the mixture to idle. All of this was to reduce the chance of fire; though that chance was small. I deliberately chose not to move the fuel selector to off for fear that; months from then; I would forget to set it back prior to takeoff. I opened the door; yelled to onlookers running towards me that I was ok. I then exited the aircraft; phoned FSS to have them post an advisory for pilots to use caution for an aircraft 'stuck' on the runway. I refused early attempts to move the aircraft from the runway unsafely. I secured the services of an a&P experienced with this problem and a forklift operator and safely moved the aircraft off the runway. The nosewheel trunion (fork) was found to have broken in two causing the gear collapse and propeller strike. What have I learned? If I controled my impatience I might have avoided this mishap (not classified as an accident per my legal advice). Of course; I should have gotten out after the first throttle-up failed to move the aircraft. I also should have stayed off of the sand. This was my first mishap in 25 yrs of all WX flying and I am very grateful that there were no injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 ARROW TRIES TO POWER OUT OF THE SAND ON THE END OF A GRASS STRIP AND BREAKS NOSE GEAR STRUT.

Narrative: THE ARPT IS A 'SOFT FIELD;' ALMOST ALL GRASS; WITH THE ENDS OF THE RWY BEING SAND. THE RWY IS 3000 FT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT OBSTRUCTIONS. MY ARROW WAS LIGHTLY LOADED (1 200 LB PLT; LESS THAN 40 LBS OF BAGGAGE; AND MISC EQUIP; SUCH AS OXYGEN) AND HALF TANKS. I CHOSE TO USE THE ENTIRE RWY FOR TKOF AS I NORMALLY DO WITH ALL BUT THE LONGEST RWYS; WHICH MEANT USING SAND. (OF COURSE; I NOW REGRET THIS DECISION.) I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY; EG; SAND TO DO MY RUN-UP. I EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTY TAXIING IN THE SAND. I HAVE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE TAXIING AND LNDG/TKOFS ON GRASS AND ALSO SNOW ON PAVEMENT AND GRAVEL WITH SOME SAND MIXED IN BUT I CANNOT CLAIM TO HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE ON PURE SAND. I HAD PRACTICED SIMULATED SOFT SHORT FIELD OPS WITH A CFII A FEW DAYS PRIOR JUST FOR PROFICIENCY; EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 3 SOFT FIELD LNDGS AND TKOFS WITHIN THE PAST YR. NOTE THAT PRIOR TO RUN-UP I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH RWY 33 TKOF DIRECTION AND TAXIED FORWARD A SHORT DISTANCE TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSEWHEEL. I APPLIED FULL PWR WITH THE INTENTION OF STARTING MY TKOF ROLL. I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PULL THE STICK FULL BACK FIRST. I SIMPLY DO NOT REMEMBER AND I WAS ALONE. THE PLANE DID NOT MOVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I THROTTLED BACK TO IDLE. AT THIS POINT I SHOULD HAVE (AND CERTAINLY WILL IN THE FUTURE) SHUTDOWN; GET OUT OF THE PLANE; AND ASSESS THE SITUATION AND FREE THE PLANE FROM THE APPARENT BEING STUCK IN THE SAND. I DID NOT SHUT DOWN. FOLLOWING PAST PRACTICE (NOTING THAT MY PREVIOUS ACFT WAS A SKYHAWK WITH VERY RUGGED GEAR) WHERE I HAD BEEN 'SLIGHTLY' STUCK; I AGAIN APPLIED FULL PWR IN AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE ACFT AND START MY TKOF ROLL. AT THIS POINT THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR COLLAPSED (BUT NOT THE MAINS) AND THE PROP DUG INTO THE SAND AND THE ENG STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED AND MY TRAINING 'KICKED IN.' I SHUT OFF THE SWITCHES AND THE IGNITION AND REMOVED THE KEY. I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE. ALL OF THIS WAS TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF FIRE; THOUGH THAT CHANCE WAS SMALL. I DELIBERATELY CHOSE NOT TO MOVE THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF FOR FEAR THAT; MONTHS FROM THEN; I WOULD FORGET TO SET IT BACK PRIOR TO TKOF. I OPENED THE DOOR; YELLED TO ONLOOKERS RUNNING TOWARDS ME THAT I WAS OK. I THEN EXITED THE ACFT; PHONED FSS TO HAVE THEM POST AN ADVISORY FOR PLTS TO USE CAUTION FOR AN ACFT 'STUCK' ON THE RWY. I REFUSED EARLY ATTEMPTS TO MOVE THE ACFT FROM THE RWY UNSAFELY. I SECURED THE SVCS OF AN A&P EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PROB AND A FORKLIFT OPERATOR AND SAFELY MOVED THE ACFT OFF THE RWY. THE NOSEWHEEL TRUNION (FORK) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN IN TWO CAUSING THE GEAR COLLAPSE AND PROP STRIKE. WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? IF I CTLED MY IMPATIENCE I MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED THIS MISHAP (NOT CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT PER MY LEGAL ADVICE). OF COURSE; I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT AFTER THE FIRST THROTTLE-UP FAILED TO MOVE THE ACFT. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE STAYED OFF OF THE SAND. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISHAP IN 25 YRS OF ALL WX FLYING AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.