Event GAA18CA242

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a left crosswind gust and the right wing struck the grass on the right side of the runway. The airplane pivoted about the right wing and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were 12 knot wind gusts about the time of the accident. The METAR nearest the accident site reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 140° at 6 knots, gusting to 13 knots. The takeoff roll was initiated on runway 17. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a left crosswind gust, and the right wing struck the grass on the right side of the runway. The airplane pivoted about the right wing, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were 12-knot wind gusts about the time of the accident. The METAR nearest the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 140° at 6 knots, gusting to 13 knots. The takeoff roll was initiated on runway 17. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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-Gusts-Effect on operation