CHI96LA111

During takeoff from a private field, the pilot encountered a gust of wind and decided to abort the takeoff after the airplane drifted to the right of the runway. He used a combination of braking and forward stick, while aborting the takeoff, and said that the airplane nosed over. The pilot said he was never taught how to perform an aborted takeoff.

On March 15, 1996, at 1710 central standard time (cst), a Cessna 140, N76632, registered to Satanta Flying Service, Inc., of Satanta, Kansas, and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during the takeoff roll from a private airport east of Ulysses, Kansas. The pilot and pilot rated passenger reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on filed.

According to the pilot's written statement, he said that he was departing from a private airfield on runway 18. The airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left around one of the last buildings located along the narrow airstrip (20 feet wide runway). The pilot decided to abort the takeoff after drifting to the right of the runway. The pilot stated "... A combination of overbraking to keep aircraft on runway and forward stick caused the aircraft to nose over... ." The pilot also told the IIC, in a telephone conversation on April 2, 1996, that he was never taught how to perform an aborted takeoff.

Twenty minutes before the accident occurred, Garden City Airport, Kansas located 38 miles northeast, reported wind conditions, 210 degrees at 7 knots.

In a telephone conversation between the IIC and the instructor pilot on April 10, 1996, he said that the pilot had problems with the use of brakes and needed additional time in the airplane. The instructor pilot also said that the pilot was told that private fields in the area were off limits for the Satanta Flying Service's airplanes. The instructor pilot said that on the day of the accident, Satanta Flying Service was reporting calm winds.