What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances and came to rest inverted after striking a fence. (From .19) on June 15, 1999, at 1230 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6448B, was substantially damaged when the left wing tip struck a sign post and the aircraft veered into a chain link fence and flipped inverted during takeoff from a county road 22 miles west of Needles, California. The private pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft was operated by the owner under 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight. The point of departure is unknown. According to a san bernadino county sheriff's deputy, witnesses reported that the pilot landed the aircraft on goffs (county) road, immediately north of the interstate 40 interchange and taxied near an automotive service station. Goffs road runs north-south, however, in the area where the pilot landed, the road turns and parallels interstate 40 in an east-west direction for about 1/2 mile. The pilot told the service station attendant that he was en route to bullhead city and was unsure if he had sufficient fuel aboard. He purchased 5 gallons of automotive gasoline in a container, carried it to the aircraft, and poured it in the right wing tank. With his one passenger aboard, the pilot then started the aircraft, taxied back up the road, turned around, and initiated takeoff in a westerly direction. The road has a slight curve in this area and the witnesses were concerned that the aircraft did not appear properly aligned with the road. Immediately after the aircraft became airborne the left wing tip struck the post of a construction sign, the aircraft veered left, struck the top of the chain link fence, and flipped inverted. According to the deputy, the pilot said that he hit the pole because he lost directional control due to a gust of wind. The deputy estimated that winds were from the southwest about 5 knots with frequent, abrupt gusts to about 20 knots and the "temperature was 110 plus" [fahrenheit]. (-23)privacy data omitted stated that he and privacy data omitted had flown from sun valley airport, AZ. To apple valley airport, CA. For breakfast. On the return trip to sun valley airport, he noticed the gas gages were reading almost empty. Approaching goffs road and I-40 intersection, privacy data omitted ^priv^ decided to make an off airport landing to purchase fuel at a automotive gas station. After landing, privacy data omitted found the left tank was half full and the right tank still had two to three inches to fuel ramaining. privacy data omittedPurchased 5 gallons of gas and poured it in the right tank. privacy data omitted Was attempting to takeoff on goffs road in a westerly direction, when the left wing tip struck a post supporting a construction sign right after lift off. This caused the aircraft to veer to the left and strike the top of a chain link fence. The aircraft came to rest upside down. privacy data omitted And his passenger received minor injuries. (.4)the pilot landed the aircraft on a county road and taxied near an automotive service station. The pilot told the service station attendant that he was unsure if he had sufficient fuel aboard to reach his destination. He purchased 5 gallons of automotive gasoline in a container, carried it to the aircraft, and poured it in the right wing tank. With his one passenger aboard, the pilot then started the aircraft, taxied back up the road, turned around, and initiated takeoff. The road has a slight curve in the area a ND the witnessses were concerned that the aircraft did not appear properly aligned with the road. Immediately after the aircraft became airborne the left wing tip struck the top of a chain link fence, and nosed over inverted. The pilot told a sheriff's deputy that he hit the pole because he lost directional control due to a gust of wind. The deputy estimated that winds from the southwest about 5 knots with frequent, abrupt gusts ot about 20 knots, and the temperature was in excess of 110 degrees (fahrenheit).
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED AFTER STRIKING A FENCE. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 15, 1999, AT 1230 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172, N6448B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A SIGN POST AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND FLIPPED INVERTED DURING TAKEOFF FROM A COUNTY ROAD 22 MILES WEST OF NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE POINT OF DEPARTURE IS UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO A SAN BERNADINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON GOFFS (COUNTY) ROAD, IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 INTERCHANGE AND TAXIED NEAR AN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE STATION. GOFFS ROAD RUNS NORTH-SOUTH, HOWEVER, IN THE AREA WHERE THE PILOT LANDED, THE ROAD TURNS AND PARALLELS INTERSTATE 40 IN AN EAST-WEST DIRECTION FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE. THE PILOT TOLD THE SERVICE STATION ATTENDANT THAT HE WAS EN ROUTE TO BULLHEAD CITY AND WAS UNSURE IF HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL ABOARD. HE PURCHASED 5 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN A CONTAINER, CARRIED IT TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND POURED IT IN THE RIGHT WING TANK. WITH HIS ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, THE PILOT THEN STARTED THE AIRCRAFT, TAXIED BACK UP THE ROAD, TURNED AROUND, AND INITIATED TAKEOFF IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. THE ROAD HAS A SLIGHT CURVE IN THIS AREA AND THE WITNESSES WERE CONCERNED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE POST OF A CONSTRUCTION SIGN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT, STRUCK THE TOP OF THE CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND FLIPPED INVERTED. ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY, THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HIT THE POLE BECAUSE HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO A GUST OF WIND. THE DEPUTY ESTIMATED THAT WINDS WERE FROM THE SOUTHWEST ABOUT 5 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT, ABRUPT GUSTS TO ABOUT 20 KNOTS AND THE "TEMPERATURE WAS 110 PLUS" [FAHRENHEIT]. (-23)^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED STATED THAT HE AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ HAD FLOWN FROM SUN VALLEY AIRPORT, AZ. TO APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT, CA. FOR BREAKFAST. ON THE RETURN TRIP TO SUN VALLEY AIRPORT, HE NOTICED THE GAS GAGES WERE READING ALMOST EMPTY. APPROACHING GOFFS ROAD AND I-40 INTERSECTION, ^PRIVACY^ ^PRIV^ DECIDED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING TO PURCHASE FUEL AT A AUTOMOTIVE GAS STATION. AFTER LANDING, ^PRIVACY DAT^ FOUND THE LEFT TANK WAS HALF FULL AND THE RIGHT TANK STILL HAD TWO TO THREE INCHES TO FUEL RAMAINING. ^PRIVACY DAT^PURCHASED 5 GALLONS OF GAS AND POURED IT IN THE RIGHT TANK. ^PRIVACY DAT^ WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF ON GOFFS ROAD IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, WHEN THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A POST SUPPORTING A CONSTRUCTION SIGN RIGHT AFTER LIFT OFF. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE LEFT AND STRIKE THE TOP OF A CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. ^PRIVACY DAT^ AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. (.4)THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON A COUNTY ROAD AND TAXIED NEAR AN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE STATION. THE PILOT TOLD THE SERVICE STATION ATTENDANT THAT HE WAS UNSURE IF HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL ABOARD TO REACH HIS DESTINATION. HE PURCHASED 5 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN A CONTAINER, CARRIED IT TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND POURED IT IN THE RIGHT WING TANK. WITH HIS ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, THE PILOT THEN STARTED THE AIRCRAFT, TAXIED BACK UP THE ROAD, TURNED AROUND, AND INITIATED TAKEOFF. THE ROAD HAS A SLIGHT CURVE IN THE AREA A ND THE WITNESSSES WERE CONCERNED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE TOP OF A CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND NOSED OVER INVERTED. THE PILOT TOLD A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY THAT HE HIT THE POLE BECAUSE HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO A GUST OF WIND. THE DEPUTY ESTIMATED THAT WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST ABOUT 5 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT, ABRUPT GUSTS OT ABOUT 20 KNOTS, AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN EXCESS OF 110 DEGREES (FAHRENHEIT).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.