Event GAA19CA550

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that prior to departure, while he refueled the airplane and taxied to the runway, the wind was "picking up and gusting" but "were comfortably within [his] personal and aircraft limits." During takeoff, as he "rolled on the power," the right wing started to lift so he corrected with full control input left but the airplane rolled to the right and impacted terrain. The pilot added that he did not get a wind check The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was 220° at 24 knots, gusting to 38 knots. The airplane was departing from runway 26. According to the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook for an unmodified airplane, the maximum demonstrated crosswind is 11.7 knots. The steady state crosswind component for the accident flight was 15 knots, with gusting winds, the crosswind component for the accident flight was 24 knots. The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that prior to departure, while he refueled the airplane and taxied to the runway, the wind was "picking up and gusting" but "were comfortably within [his] personal and aircraft limits."  During takeoff, as he "rolled on the power," the right wing started to lift so he corrected with full control input left but the airplane rolled to the right and impacted terrain.  The pilot added that he did not get a wind check The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was 220° at 24 knots, gusting to 38 knots. The airplane was departing from runway 26. According to the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook for an unmodified airplane, the maximum demonstrated crosswind is 11.7 knots. The steady state crosswind component for the accident flight was 15 knots, with gusting winds, the crosswind component for the accident flight was 24 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 Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation - C
• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation - C