What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost control on takeoff. Exited runway. Left wing hit fence. Cartwheeled. Damaged both wings and tail. Blamed wind. (-23) on June 27, 1997, approximately 1730 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18 airplane, N1754A, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at a private airstrip, near Clovis, new Mexico. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported, via a statement in NTSB form 6210.1/2, that he was doing touch and go landings on runway 36. He reported that during the third landing, a gust of wind caught the tail wheel equipped airplane as it touched down, turning the aircraft to the left. He tried to increase power to lift off but "was out of control." Subsequently, the left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft "cart wheeled", resulting in structural damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported the steady state winds to be from the south at 2 knots and that the gust of wind was "unexpected." A nearby weather reported facility (AWOS), located at Clovis municipal air port, reported the winds to be from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
As the FAA filed it
LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF. EXITED RUNWAY. LEFT WING HIT FENCE. CARTWHEELED. DAMAGED BOTH WINGS AND TAIL. BLAMED WIND. (-23) ON JUNE 27, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1730 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N1754A, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING LANDING AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, NEAR CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED, VIA A STATEMENT IN NTSB FORM 6210.1/2, THAT HE WAS DOING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 36. HE REPORTED THAT DURING THE THIRD LANDING, A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE AS IT TOUCHED DOWN, TURNING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT. HE TRIED TO INCREASE POWER TO LIFT OFF BUT "WAS OUT OF CONTROL." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A FENCE, AND THE AIRCRAFT "CART WHEELED", RESULTING IN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THE STEADY STATE WINDS TO BE FROM THE SOUTH AT 2 KNOTS AND THAT THE GUST OF WIND WAS "UNEXPECTED." A NEARBY WEATHER REPORTED FACILITY (AWOS), LOCATED AT CLOVIS MUNICIPAL AIR PORT, REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE FROM 190 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1754A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.