What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot was going to fly one more flight around the traffic pattern for some individuals to take photographs of his aircraft. The pilot stated that there was a dark storm cell approximately 3 statute miles north of the airport moving to the east. The pilot stated that after the aircraft rotated the normal climb speed of 55 mph seemed to diminish rapidly at 8 to 10 feet AGL. The pilot stated that his back stick pressure produced a stall, followed by an uncontrollable sink that resulted in the aircraft impacting on the right side of the runway 17. Witnesses to the accident stated that the wind sock was limp at the start of the takeoff roll, but indicated strong gusting winds as the pilot rotated. Post accident investigation showed that there was thunderstorm activity in the area at the time the accident. There were reports of high, gusting, winds in the area at the time of the accident. Subsequent to the accident, the pilot stated in a interview with a federal aviation administration inspector that he had made a poor decision by taking off with the approaching thunderstorm in the area. (-23) on June 20, 1998, Mr. Richard b. hartzler operated nieuport 11, N921D h, as pilot in command at the Gardner Municipal Airport, Gardner, KS. At approximately 22035 CDT, Mr. Hartzler departed runway 17, as a severe thunderstorm was approaching. During the initial climb phase of flight, he encountered strong gusty surface winds resulting in an aircraft stall. The aircraft impacted the terrain in a bean field on the right side of runway 17, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft and minor injuries to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT WAS GOING TO FLY ONE MORE FLIGHT AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIS AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS A DARK STORM CELL APPROXIMATELY 3 STATUTE MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT MOVING TO THE EAST. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED THE NORMAL CLIMB SPEED OF 55 MPH SEEMED TO DIMINISH RAPIDLY AT 8 TO 10 FEET AGL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS BACK STICK PRESSURE PRODUCED A STALL, FOLLOWED BY AN UNCONTROLLABLE SINK THAT RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 17. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE WIND SOCK WAS LIMP AT THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, BUT INDICATED STRONG GUSTING WINDS AS THE PILOT ROTATED. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THERE WAS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AT THE TIME THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE REPORTS OF HIGH, GUSTING, WINDS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED IN A INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD MADE A POOR DECISION BY TAKING OFF WITH THE APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM IN THE AREA. (-23) ON JUNE 20, 1998, MR. RICHARD B. HARTZLER OPERATED NIEUPORT 11, N921D H, AS PILOT IN COMMAND AT THE GARDNER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, GARDNER, KS. AT APPROXIMATELY 22035 CDT, MR. HARTZLER DEPARTED RUNWAY 17, AS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS APPROACHING. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB PHASE OF FLIGHT, HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS RESULTING IN AN AIRCRAFT STALL. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A BEAN FIELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 17, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND MINOR INJURIES TO THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.