What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During the takeoff portion of a touch and go landing on runway 26, the aircraft veered off of the left side of the runway then turned back to the right coming to rest back on the runway. Damage consisted of the propeller, right wing tip, left landing gear, fuselage and left wing spar, which was impaled on a runway light. The wind was 170 degrees at 16 knots. The pilot in command stated he was distracted by a bird passing by the right side of the canopy prior to the first excursion. (.4)on February 21, 2000, at 1340 hours pacific standard time, a homebuilt cohen van's RV-6, N264JC, ground looped while landing at the Camarillo, California, airport. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The local area personal flight, conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, originated at the Camarillo Airport at 1300. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he had completed about five touch-and-go landings to runway 26. The winds were reported to be from approximately 180 degrees at 10 knots with gusts to 16 kn ots. The pilot established the final approach about 85 mph with full flaps. The glide path, power setting, and airspeed appeared normal, and the airplane was in line with the runway centerline. The pilot reported that the flare and landing were also normal. While preparing to increase the power for takeoff, the pilot became distracted by a bird that passed by the right side of the canopy; he was worried about a bird strike. At that time, a wind gust caused the airplane to veer off the centerline. The pilot opted to takeoff. The airplane lifted off from the runway but remained low and slow. The pilot reported that he entered a slight bank to the right. The wind lifted the left wing causing a greater angle of bank. The pilot stated that because of the slow airspeed, the ailerons were not responsive enough for the desired correction. The right wingtip impacted the terrain and the airplane collided with a runway light. There was damage to the propeller and both wings. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the airplane prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING THE TAKEOFF PORTION OF A TOUCH AND GO LANDING ON RUNWAY 26, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY THEN TURNED BACK TO THE RIGHT COMING TO REST BACK ON THE RUNWAY. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF THE PROPELLER, RIGHT WING TIP, LEFT LANDING GEAR, FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING SPAR, WHICH WAS IMPALED ON A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE WIND WAS 170 DEGREES AT 16 KNOTS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED HE WAS DISTRACTED BY A BIRD PASSING BY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANOPY PRIOR TO THE FIRST EXCURSION. (.4)ON FEBRUARY 21, 2000, AT 1340 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT COHEN VAN'S RV-6, N264JC, GROUND LOOPED WHILE LANDING AT THE CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, ORIGINATED AT THE CAMARILLO AIRPORT AT 1300. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED ABOUT FIVE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS TO RUNWAY 26. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 16 KN OTS. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED THE FINAL APPROACH ABOUT 85 MPH WITH FULL FLAPS. THE GLIDE PATH, POWER SETTING, AND AIRSPEED APPEARED NORMAL, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LINE WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLARE AND LANDING WERE ALSO NORMAL. WHILE PREPARING TO INCREASE THE POWER FOR TAKEOFF, THE PILOT BECAME DISTRACTED BY A BIRD THAT PASSED BY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANOPY; HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT A BIRD STRIKE. AT THAT TIME, A WIND GUST CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER OFF THE CENTERLINE. THE PILOT OPTED TO TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF FROM THE RUNWAY BUT REMAINED LOW AND SLOW. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENTERED A SLIGHT BANK TO THE RIGHT. THE WIND LIFTED THE LEFT WING CAUSING A GREATER ANGLE OF BANK. THE PILOT STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SLOW AIRSPEED, THE AILERONS WERE NOT RESPONSIVE ENOUGH FOR THE DESIRED CORRECTION. THE RIGHT WINGTIP IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY LIGHT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND BOTH WINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.