Floatplane launching dolly for use on land veered into the windsock and damaged some lighting after ...

Attributes
ACN	240476
Time
Date	199304
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cad
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 5400
ASRS Report	240476
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

An small aircraft had been placed on floats of the fixed or no wheels type. The aircraft and floats were on a 3 wheel trailer used for transport and launch takeoff. Takeoff was made by myself as pilot on the parallel taxiway along runway 25 beginning midfield. After liftoff from the cart, the captain slowly turned to the left striking the airport's lighted windsock located at the approach end of runway 7 between the runway and taxiway in grass median area. Launching of sea/float planes from land is commonly done from carts, however, the cart should have its castered steerable wheel(south) semi-locked in straight ahead position and a brake after aircraft liftoff to stop the cart. Cadillac's airport manager was contacted by me and has issued a cart takeoff use policy to the local maintenance facility. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the FBO had to pay for the damages to the windsock lights. The launch trolley was modified. The castering nosewheels were limited to about 15 degrees of caster and an electric trailer brake was installed that would apply light braking when the aircraft rose about 6 inches above the trolley.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLOATPLANE LAUNCHING DOLLY FOR USE ON LAND VEERED INTO THE WINDSOCK AND DAMAGED SOME LIGHTING AFTER THE ACFT HAD LIFTED OFF IT.

Narrative: AN SMA HAD BEEN PLACED ON FLOATS OF THE FIXED OR NO WHEELS TYPE. THE ACFT AND FLOATS WERE ON A 3 WHEEL TRAILER USED FOR TRANSPORT AND LAUNCH TKOF. TKOF WAS MADE BY MYSELF AS PLT ON THE PARALLEL TXWY ALONG RWY 25 BEGINNING MIDFIELD. AFTER LIFTOFF FROM THE CART, THE CAPT SLOWLY TURNED TO THE L STRIKING THE ARPT'S LIGHTED WINDSOCK LOCATED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 7 BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY IN GRASS MEDIAN AREA. LAUNCHING OF SEA/FLOAT PLANES FROM LAND IS COMMONLY DONE FROM CARTS, HOWEVER, THE CART SHOULD HAVE ITS CASTERED STEERABLE WHEEL(S) SEMI-LOCKED IN STRAIGHT AHEAD POS AND A BRAKE AFTER ACFT LIFTOFF TO STOP THE CART. CADILLAC'S ARPT MGR WAS CONTACTED BY ME AND HAS ISSUED A CART TKOF USE POLICY TO THE LCL MAINT FACILITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FBO HAD TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES TO THE WINDSOCK LIGHTS. THE LAUNCH TROLLEY WAS MODIFIED. THE CASTERING NOSEWHEELS WERE LIMITED TO ABOUT 15 DEGS OF CASTER AND AN ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKE WAS INSTALLED THAT WOULD APPLY LIGHT BRAKING WHEN THE ACFT ROSE ABOUT 6 INCHES ABOVE THE TROLLEY.

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.

Floatplane launching dolly for use on land veered into the windsock and damaged some lighting after the aircraft had lifted off it.