Event ERA16CA239

Factual narrative

The pilot/owner of the single-engine tailwheel airplane was attempting to depart from a private turf runway. During the takeoff, a gust of wind contacted the airplane from the left side, and it veered to the right. The airplane's right wing and propeller then struck a fence post. The pilot tried to fly the airplane back to the runway, but it impacted terrain and slid into a tree. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The recorded weather at an airport located about 15 miles from the accident site, about the time of the accident, included a left quartering headwind at 9 knots. The pilot/owner of the single-engine, tailwheel-equipped airplane was attempting to depart from a private turf runway. During the takeoff, a wind gust contacted the airplane from the left side, and the airplane veered to the right. The airplane's right wing and propeller then struck a fence post. The pilot tried to fly the airplane back to the runway, but it impacted terrain and slid into a tree. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The recorded weather at an airport located about 15 miles from the accident site, about the time of the accident, included a left quartering headwind at 9 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome