Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control during a takeoff from a narrow gravel road, resulting in a collision with a fixed obstacle.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he was taking off from a 14-ft-wide gravel road. He started a “fast taxi” to clear a road sign on the left side of the road. During the fast taxi, the pilot thought that the airplane “got a gust of wind” and became airborne. The pilot added full throttle and the left wing struck the road sign. The airplane veered to the left onto grass and came to rest upright in the adjacent field. The left and right wings and the forward fuselage sustained substantial damage.