Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 35000
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related
While taking off on the runway; I advised on UNICOM that I was taking the active and departing straight out of the airport. While at rotation; I felt a bang in the back of the aircraft. I had thought my rudder had let go or something failed in the back. The aircraft was controllable and I elected to land at [a nearby Class D] airport with Tower permission. Upon shutdown and further inspection; I noticed that my rudder was damaged. I later found out that an aircraft landing behind me did not see me and damaged my rudder with his propeller. I had no idea until further investigation that this was the case.
The reporter stated that after landing he drove to the departure airport to determine if his aircraft's rudder parts were on the runway. What he found was where another aircraft parked with part of its propeller missing. That aircraft's pilot would not say when or how the damage occurred.
After a CTAF takeoff announcement; a small aircraft pilot rotated and felt an airframe jolt; but the aircraft remained controllable. Upon landing at a nearby airport; the pilot discovered rudder damaged from another aircraft's propeller as it landed at the departure airport.