What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a telephone pole on landing after encountering a strong crosswind. Midland, TX. (-23) pilot initiated go-around due to loss of directional control during landing as a result of a wind shift. As a/c became airborne, wind caused a/c to turn perpendicular to runway. A/c struck power pole, causing left wing to separated from fuselage. A/c came to rest upright 488 ft from runway. (.4)the commercial pilot lost control of the tailwheel equipped airplane when the wind shifted to a gusty tailwind during the landing roll. Witness observed the airplane execute a 'nice wheel landing on the centerline' of runway 16. After all 3 wheels were on the ground, the airplane started drifting to the left of the centerline. The left main wheel went off the pavement and as the right wing started to come up, the pilot advanced the engine to full power. The witness stated that he looked back at the windsock, he noticed that the winds had suddenly shifted from a quartering headwind, to a gusting quartering tailwind. The airplane cleared the airport's perimeter fence; however, the left wing of the airplane impacted a power line pole. The winds at the Midland international airport, located 9 nautical miles to the northwest were reported from 230 degrees at 11 knots. In the enclosed NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot reported that the winds were from the southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE ON LANDING AFTER ENCOUNTERING A STRONG CROSSWIND. MIDLAND, TX. (-23) PILOT INITIATED GO-AROUND DUE TO LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING AS A RESULT OF A WIND SHIFT. AS A/C BECAME AIRBORNE, WIND CAUSED A/C TO TURN PERPENDICULAR TO RUNWAY. A/C STRUCK POWER POLE, CAUSING LEFT WING TO SEPARATED FROM FUSELAGE. A/C CAME TO REST UPRIGHT 488 FT FROM RUNWAY. (.4)THE COMMERCIAL PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WHEN THE WIND SHIFTED TO A GUSTY TAILWIND DURING THE LANDING ROLL. WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE EXECUTE A 'NICE WHEEL LANDING ON THE CENTERLINE' OF RUNWAY 16. AFTER ALL 3 WHEELS WERE ON THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE STARTED DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL WENT OFF THE PAVEMENT AND AS THE RIGHT WING STARTED TO COME UP, THE PILOT ADVANCED THE ENGINE TO FULL POWER. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE LOOKED BACK AT THE WINDSOCK, HE NOTICED THAT THE WINDS HAD SUDDENLY SHIFTED FROM A QUARTERING HEADWIND, TO A GUSTING QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE CLEARED THE AIRPORT'S PERIMETER FENCE; HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A POWER LINE POLE. THE WINDS AT THE MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LOCATED 9 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE NORTHWEST WERE REPORTED FROM 230 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. IN THE ENCLOSED NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 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.