Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with gusting winds, which resulted in an inflight collision with a fence.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The private pilot reported that while taking off on a personal flight, a gust of wind lifted the right wing. The pilot overcorrected, which resulted in a slight left turn and loss of altitude. The airplane was about 4 to 5 ft agl when it struck a barb wire fence that ran parallel to the departure runway. The pilot landed the airplane in a cornfield along the airplane’s flight path. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aft fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was taking off on runway 19 with wind from 210o at 8 knots, gusting to 15 knots.