What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Had just bought the experimental CX4 aircraft. He was flying the aircraft to albuquerque. privacy data omitted Stated he became concerned that he had a fuel leak because he smelled fuel during the flight, and decided to make a precautionary landing at 4AZ7, a closed runway formerly used for aircraft fire fighting operations. After privacy data omitted landed, he acquired some fuel for the aircraft. He then taxied to runway 14 to depart. During the departure roll, he states he experienced a couple heavy wind gusts. He corrected for the first gust, then encountered the second and put control inputs in to counteract the gust, but the aircraft veered to the right (weathervaining into a crosswind from the right). privacy data omitted Was unable to keep the aircraft from leaving the asphalt portion of the runway, and there were trees and brush immediately off the edge of the asphalt. He hit a mesquite tree, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. privacy data omitted Stated there was nothing wrong with the aircraft, he just couldn't correct for the wind gusts.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD JUST BOUGHT THE EXPERIMENTAL CX4 AIRCRAFT. HE WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT TO ALBUQUERQUE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE BECAME CONCERNED THAT HE HAD A FUEL LEAK BECAUSE HE SMELLED FUEL DURING THE FLIGHT, AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT 4AZ7, A CLOSED RUNWAY FORMERLY USED FOR AIRCRAFT FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS. AFTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED, HE ACQUIRED SOME FUEL FOR THE AIRCRAFT. HE THEN TAXIED TO RUNWAY 14 TO DEPART. DURING THE DEPARTURE ROLL, HE STATES HE EXPERIENCED A COUPLE HEAVY WIND GUSTS. HE CORRECTED FOR THE FIRST GUST, THEN ENCOUNTERED THE SECOND AND PUT CONTROL INPUTS IN TO COUNTERACT THE GUST, BUT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT (WEATHERVAINING INTO A CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM LEAVING THE ASPHALT PORTION OF THE RUNWAY, AND THERE WERE TREES AND BRUSH IMMEDIATELY OFF THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT. HE HIT A MESQUITE TREE, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT, HE JUST COULDN'T CORRECT FOR THE WIND GUSTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5089Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.