Story ID: 
Factual Report: Pothole damages King Air
By: Mary F. Silitch
Caption: Raytheon Beech King Air 200, Hondo, Texas, Sept.
Word Count: 137
Raytheon Beech King Air 200, Hondo, Texas, Sept. 5, 2006–The King Air had just been painted when the 18,500-hour ATP-rated pilot arrived to fly it back to home base. The airport at which it had been painted did not have jet-A, so he planned to fly to an airport 30 miles away to refuel. While taxiing out, he ran into a pothole, which was not visible because of standing rainwater. There was no notam warning about the damaged taxiway. There were no signs of damage or blown tires, so the pilot took off. Cruising at 3,000 feet, he noticed the airplane was out of trim and adjusted rudder and aileron trim to maintain level flight. He landed uneventfully and discovered that the right wing and right nacelle were damaged. The King Air is registered to BC Air of Albuquerque, N.M.