ATL94LA139

The pilot had started his initial takeoff climb when a truck pulled on to the sod runway and stopped. As the pilot maneuvered to avoid a collision with the vehicle, the aircraft left wingtip struck the vehicle; the airplane cartwheeled and collided with the ground.

On July 16, 1994, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft 15A, N70BL, collided with a truck while attempting a takeoff from a private airstrip near Dobson, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the collision. The airplane sustained substantial damage; the person in the truck received minor injuries and the pilot was not injured. The accident occurred during the initial takeoff attempt.

According to the pilot, the collision occurred at the intersection of the runway and a road used to cross the sod runway. The pilot reported that, the driver of the truck wandered onto the runway and stopped. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the pilot swerved, but the left wing struck the rear of the vehicle. After the collision, the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest on the sod runway. The pilot/owner of the private airstrip stated that putting signs on the building adjacent to the runway would alert vehicle operators of airplanes operating from the airstrip, and to use caution when crossing the runway.