- Date
- September 18, 2025, 12:56 local (19:56 UTC)
- Place
- Toledo, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N78316Temco GC-1B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 2, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250918015719A
- Case key
- 201817
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff in crosswind conditions..
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that as he prepared for takeoff in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he did not observe any movement of grass or trees due to wind. During the takeoff roll, the right wing rose suddenly, which the pilot counteracted with aileron inputs. The airplane bounced, and the right wing rose a second time, which the pilot counteracted. Subsequently, the airplane banked steeply to the left, exited the runway, and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right aileron, and the elevator. Prior to taxiing to and departing runway 24, the pilot observed a windsock, which indicated the wind was from about 260° at 2 to 6 knots. The airport manager reported there was a 20 knot crosswind at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78316
- Reported as
- Temco GC-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2316
- Built
- 1947
- Engine
- Continental O-300B, 195 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2007
- Destination
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, OR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TDO · Ed Carlson Meml Fld/South Lewis County, runway 06/24, 4,479 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- 1:15
- METAR
- 12:55 PM 72 °F 50 °F 46 % VAR 6 mph 14 mph 29.85 in 0.0 in Fair
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.