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During a training flight, an animal was struck during takeoff rotation at an uncontrolled airport. The instructor pilot continued the flight to his nearby home base with the gear down since he suspected damage to the left main landing gear and had no indication of aircraft control damage. Subsequent inspection revealed that the left main gear door was missing from the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 417660 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : f12 |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hwo |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1250 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 417660 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During our ground roll, at the moment we rotated, a small animal, about the size of a dog, ran out in front of the left main. The main contacted the animal with a loud thud. There was insufficient runway to land back on, so I opted to continue the climb out and not retract the gear since they were down and locked already. We returned to GGG airport and did a low pass to verify the left main was still intact. It was confirmed that it was, so we went around and then landed. On further inspection on the ground, it was found that the gear door had been ripped off when we contacted the animal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING A TRAINING FLT, AN ANIMAL WAS STRUCK DURING TKOF ROTATION AT AN UNCTLED ARPT. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT CONTINUED THE FLT TO HIS NEARBY HOME BASE WITH THE GEAR DOWN SINCE HE SUSPECTED DAMAGE TO THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR AND HAD NO INDICATION OF ACFT CTL DAMAGE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE L MAIN GEAR DOOR WAS MISSING FROM THE ACFT.
Narrative: DURING OUR GND ROLL, AT THE MOMENT WE ROTATED, A SMALL ANIMAL, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DOG, RAN OUT IN FRONT OF THE L MAIN. THE MAIN CONTACTED THE ANIMAL WITH A LOUD THUD. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RWY TO LAND BACK ON, SO I OPTED TO CONTINUE THE CLBOUT AND NOT RETRACT THE GEAR SINCE THEY WERE DOWN AND LOCKED ALREADY. WE RETURNED TO GGG ARPT AND DID A LOW PASS TO VERIFY THE L MAIN WAS STILL INTACT. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS, SO WE WENT AROUND AND THEN LANDED. ON FURTHER INSPECTION ON THE GND, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE GEAR DOOR HAD BEEN RIPPED OFF WHEN WE CONTACTED THE ANIMAL.
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.