20100411031239A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Taft, CA · April 11, 2010

Date
April 11, 2010 · 11:00 local
Place
Taft, CA
Airport
Taft-Kern Co
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2887P
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10CA203
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,800 total1,300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Just after the tail came up, but before the mains lifted off, an unexpected strong wind gust from the right blew the plane "like a dry leaf" to the left off rwy 7. With the right wing up, almost 90 degrees, the left wing drug in the grass and dirt, causing the plane to cartwheel.

As the FAA filed it

JUST AFTER THE TAIL CAME UP, BUT BEFORE THE MAINS LIFTED OFF, AN UNEXPECTED STRONG WIND GUST FROM THE RIGHT BLEW THE PLANE "LIKE A DRY LEAF" TO THE LEFT OFF RWY 7. WITH THE RIGHT WING UP, ALMOST 90 DEGREES, THE LEFT WING DRUG IN THE GRASS AND DIRT, CAUSING THE PLANE TO CARTWHEEL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.