Prickett Grooms Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sidnaw, Michigan 49961
Friday, June 6, 2003 14:41 EDT

The rental airplane impacted trees during initial climb from an aborted landing on runway 28, which was a 2,000 foot long grass airstrip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with winds from the south reported by the closest weather reporting station. The passenger stated that the airplane touched down about half down the runway, went back up in the air, and touched down a second time before taking off again. The airplane then impacted trees west of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The private pilot accumulated a total flight time of 141.2 hours over a period of about ten years, of which 5.5 hours were in the past 90 days and 2.3 hours were in the past 30 days from the accident date. According to the pilot's certified flight instructor, the pilot last received flight instruction on a grass airstrip during the pilot's student pilot training. He said that the pilot had very little experience on grass airstrips since receiving his private pilot certificate based upon what he could remember. The pilot's last airman medical certificate was expired at the time of the accident. A Federal Aviation Administration safety publication, which provides guidance to pilots in their planning of takeoffs and landings, states: always plan touchdown 200 feet inside of runway threshold, abort takeoff if not solidly "airborne" in first 1/2 of runway, and abort landing if not solidly "on" in first 1/3 of runway (first 1/4 if wet grass).

The improper short/soft field landing procedure by the pilot and his lack of recent experience in type of operation. Contributing factors were the short/soft field runway, the trees and his delay in aborting the takeoff.