C152 pilot drifts to side of runway at takeoff and hits runway light.

Attributes
ACN	310446
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3pa1
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 370 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	310446
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff aircraft drifted left and hit runway light. Setting sun made visibility difficult. Flight continued to home airport with uneventful landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was with an FAA examiner going for his commercial chkride. They were doing a soft field takeoff and the sun was absolutely blinding. Chkride was over at that point. Reporter feels he should have stopped the takeoff when realizing the sun was so bad and used the reverse runway. No damage to the aircraft, a C152. Reporter passed his chkride at a later date. The aircraft was rotating just as it hit the light, thus no damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT DRIFTS TO SIDE OF RWY AT TKOF AND HITS RWY LIGHT.

Narrative: ON TKOF ACFT DRIFTED L AND HIT RWY LIGHT. SETTING SUN MADE VISIBILITY DIFFICULT. FLT CONTINUED TO HOME ARPT WITH UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS WITH AN FAA EXAMINER GOING FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CHKRIDE. THEY WERE DOING A SOFT FIELD TKOF AND THE SUN WAS ABSOLUTELY BLINDING. CHKRIDE WAS OVER AT THAT POINT. RPTR FEELS HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE TKOF WHEN REALIZING THE SUN WAS SO BAD AND USED THE REVERSE RWY. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, A C152. RPTR PASSED HIS CHKRIDE AT A LATER DATE. THE ACFT WAS ROTATING JUST AS IT HIT THE LIGHT, THUS NO DAMAGE.

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.