20071112827839A

(-23) AT ABOUT 13:50 ON 11/12/2007, AT SEDONA AIRPORT (SEZ) A PA-28-180 PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 03. THE PILOT HAD THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FRONT RIGHT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RIGHT REAR, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LEFT REAR. THE FIELD ELEVATION IS 4827', THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 73 DEGREES, AND THE WIND WAS 150/04. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FUELED AND CONTAINED ABOUT 48 GALLONS OF FUEL (FUEL RECEIPT INDICATES "T/O" INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. DURING TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT REACHED ROTATION SPEED ABOUT (60 MPH). THE PILOT INITIALLY RELEASED BACKPRESSURE TO LIFT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND TO ATTEMPT ROTATION; THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THIS POINT THE PLANE WAS SLUGGISH SO HE HELD OFF ON ROTATION AND ATTEMPTED TO BUILD UP MORE SPEED. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DOWN THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO RISE; AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT "WE WERE HIT BY A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND, BECAUSE WE WERE SUDDENLY BLOWN TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY." THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO CENTERLINE AND STRUCK A TAXIWAY SIGN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DRIVING THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO THE GROUND.