CHI00LA122

The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with a fence during takeoff roll. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The pilot stated, 'Taxing to the end of the runway was uneventful and there was no indication that the wind was excessive. I performed my run-up checks, applied full power and began my takeoff roll. The tail came up normally and I continued the roll. All of a sudden I was hit by a huge gust that got under the right wing which nearly tipped the plane onto the left wing. I gained enough control to keep the airplane upright but my direction changed to where I was heading left toward the Army National Guard fence. The right wing hit the fence and the aircraft came to an abrupt stop.' The pilot further stated, 'Right wing tip 3 feet broken including front [and] rear spar when wing hit chain link fence.' A witness stated, 'Plane, on taxi for take-off on sod runway, was blown-off course by a strong gust. It rolled over 2 or 3 times into Nat Gd [National Guard] fence.' At 1605, the Boone Municipal Airport, Boone, Iowa, wind was 100 degrees at 19 knots gusts to 24 knots.

On April 23, 2000, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cunningham Pietenpol Aircamper, N899TC, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with a fence during takeoff roll on runway 02 (3,190 feet X 280 feet, dry/turf) at Boone Municipal Airport, near Boone, Iowa. The local flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight was on file. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Morningstar Field Airport (Y76), near Des Moines, Iowa.

The pilot stated, "On Sunday 23 April 2000 at approximately 2:00 P.M. my son and I flew from Northfield (Y76). We joined a friend flying an Aeronca Champ and flew to Boone where he needed to get gas. While at the field in Boone the wind began to pick up and I decided to leave and head back to Northfield. I'm not sure of the exact wind direction, but there was no runway into the prevailing wind. I decided to use the grass strip, which is very wide and cut it at an angle to reduce the crosswind component. Taxing to the end of the runway was uneventful and there was no indication that the wind was excessive. I performed my run-up checks, applied full power and began my takeoff roll. The tail came up normally and I continued the roll. All of a sudden I was hit by a huge gust that got under the right wing which nearly tipped the plane onto the left wing. I gained enough control to keep the airplane upright but my direction changed to where I was heading left toward the Army National Guard fence. The right wing hit the fence and the aircraft came to an abrupt stop. The top speed during the roll was just under 40 miles per hour." The pilot further stated, "Right wing tip 3 feet broken including front [and] rear spar when wing hit chain link fence."

A witness stated, "Plane, on taxi for take-off on sod runway, was blown-off course by a strong gust. It rolled over 2 or 3 times into Nat Gd [National Guard] fence."

At 1605, the Boone Municipal Airport, Boone, Iowa weather was: Wind 100 degrees at 19 knots gusts to 24 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition 8,000 feet broken; temperature 25 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 29.72 inches of mercury.