What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 5, 2019, at approximately 2030 CST, a Silvaire Luscombe 8E, N2783K, was departing wiley post airport (pwa) Bethany, Oklahoma when just after liftoff the aircraft left side main landing gear struck an airfield runway distance marker sign. The pilot decided to immediately land the aircraft which came to rest in the airfield grass approximately 1500 feet south of the approach end of runway 17L. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and one passenger were on board and neither was injured. The pilot was later interviewed and submitted a written statement describing the accounts. The pilot stated that he began his rollout for departure and while adding power, approximately 1500 feet down the runway he brought the taildragger aircraft up on the main landing gear by applying a small amount of down pressure on the stick causing the aircraft tail to lift slightly. At this point he relaxed down pressure on the stick and a gust of wind caused the aircraft to become airborne and inadvertantly caused the aircraft heading to deviate from its intended departure path. The aircraft continued to climb but was not able to clear the airfield runway distance marker sign and the left side aircraft main landing gear struck the sign. The pilot was able to safely land the aircraft in the grass on the airfield but a post landing inspection of the aircraft revealed damage to the left main landing gear as a result of striking the runway sign. The aircraft also sustained minor damge to the left wingtip and ground strike damage to the propeller. A review of the pilots logbook credentials also revealed that a flight review required by 14 CFR 61.56 had not been completed within the last 24 calendar months. The pilot subsequently completed the required flight review on 08/24/2019.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 5, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 2030 CST, A SILVAIRE LUSCOMBE 8E, N2783K, WAS DEPARTING WILEY POST AIRPORT (PWA) BETHANY, OKLAHOMA WHEN JUST AFTER LIFTOFF THE AIRCRAFT LEFT SIDE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK AN AIRFIELD RUNWAY DISTANCE MARKER SIGN. THE PILOT DECIDED TO IMMEDIATELY LAND THE AIRCRAFT WHICH CAME TO REST IN THE AIRFIELD GRASS APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET SOUTH OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 17L. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE ON BOARD AND NEITHER WAS INJURED. THE PILOT WAS LATER INTERVIEWED AND SUBMITTED A WRITTEN STATEMENT DESCRIBING THE ACCOUNTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BEGAN HIS ROLLOUT FOR DEPARTURE AND WHILE ADDING POWER, APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY HE BROUGHT THE TAILDRAGGER AIRCRAFT UP ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BY APPLYING A SMALL AMOUNT OF DOWN PRESSURE ON THE STICK CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TAIL TO LIFT SLIGHTLY. AT THIS POINT HE RELAXED DOWN PRESSURE ON THE STICK AND A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BECOME AIRBORNE AND INADVERTANTLY CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT HEADING TO DEVIATE FROM ITS INTENDED DEPARTURE PATH. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO CLIMB BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAR THE AIRFIELD RUNWAY DISTANCE MARKER SIGN AND THE LEFT SIDE AIRCRAFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE SIGN. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS ON THE AIRFIELD BUT A POST LANDING INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AS A RESULT OF STRIKING THE RUNWAY SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT ALSO SUSTAINED MINOR DAMGE TO THE LEFT WINGTIP AND GROUND STRIKE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. A REVIEW OF THE PILOTS LOGBOOK CREDENTIALS ALSO REVEALED THAT A FLIGHT REVIEW REQUIRED BY 14 CFR 61.56 HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED WITHIN THE LAST 24 CALENDAR MONTHS. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY COMPLETED THE REQUIRED FLIGHT REVIEW ON 08/24/2019.