What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman was departing Tuntutuliak, Alaska in a gipps-GA-8 aircraft with six passengers onboard. The AWOS was out of service. The village agent estimated the winds to be twenty knots gusting to twenty-five knots. When the airplane was rotating a large gust of wind hit the airplane from the left side (crosswind). The estimated crosswind was above thirty-five knots. The right wingtip impacted the runway. The pilot was not aware that the wintip hit the runway. The airplane continued to climb and performed as it would under normal circumstances. The airman did not notice any damage to the wingtip and continued the flight back to bethel, Alaska. The flight was approximately 45 miles. The damage was noticed after the airplane landed in bethel and the NTSB was notified.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN WAS DEPARTING TUNTUTULIAK, ALASKA IN A GIPPS-GA-8 AIRCRAFT WITH SIX PASSENGERS ONBOARD. THE AWOS WAS OUT OF SERVICE. THE VILLAGE AGENT ESTIMATED THE WINDS TO BE TWENTY KNOTS GUSTING TO TWENTY-FIVE KNOTS. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ROTATING A LARGE GUST OF WIND HIT THE AIRPLANE FROM THE LEFT SIDE (CROSSWIND). THE ESTIMATED CROSSWIND WAS ABOVE THIRTY-FIVE KNOTS. THE RIGHT WINGTIP IMPACTED THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE WINTIP HIT THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO CLIMB AND PERFORMED AS IT WOULD UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE AIRMAN DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT BACK TO BETHEL, ALASKA. THE FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES. THE DAMAGE WAS NOTICED AFTER THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN BETHEL AND THE NTSB WAS NOTIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.