Narrative:

I was repositioning the aircraft for a passenger pick up. I climbed up to 500 ft AGL plus or minus a few feet for the short hop which is about 30 NM. It was a hot afternoon with a lot of convective turbulence and not much wind. There were a few small build ups in the area but nothing big. As I approached from the east, I began to get into moderate turbulence and downdrafts. Just after entering the area of turbulence I hit a down draft that I did not recover from until very close to the ground at which point my left propeller struck the ground but I was able to recover and continue to my destination. After landing I discovered I had bent all 3 blades. There was no other damage to the aircraft. The only reason I can come up with for the down draft is that I was in a microburst area because I had full power on the aircraft and could not get it to climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ON REPOS FLT FLIES LOW AND ENCOUNTERS DOWN DRAFT. PROP HITS GND.

Narrative: I WAS REPOSITIONING THE ACFT FOR A PAX PICK UP. I CLBED UP TO 500 FT AGL PLUS OR MINUS A FEW FEET FOR THE SHORT HOP WHICH IS ABOUT 30 NM. IT WAS A HOT AFTERNOON WITH A LOT OF CONVECTIVE TURB AND NOT MUCH WIND. THERE WERE A FEW SMALL BUILD UPS IN THE AREA BUT NOTHING BIG. AS I APCHED FROM THE E, I BEGAN TO GET INTO MODERATE TURB AND DOWNDRAFTS. JUST AFTER ENTERING THE AREA OF TURB I HIT A DOWN DRAFT THAT I DID NOT RECOVER FROM UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO THE GND AT WHICH POINT MY L PROP STRUCK THE GND BUT I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND CONTINUE TO MY DEST. AFTER LNDG I DISCOVERED I HAD BENT ALL 3 BLADES. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE ONLY REASON I CAN COME UP WITH FOR THE DOWN DRAFT IS THAT I WAS IN A MICROBURST AREA BECAUSE I HAD FULL PWR ON THE ACFT AND COULD NOT GET IT TO CLB.

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.