Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff with a quartering tailwind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he and the passenger departed his home airport and flew with another airplane to a private grass strip about 5 nm to the east. They both landed and were on the ground for about an hour. They noticed a storm building in the area and prepared to leave. The north-south runway sloped up to the north and featured tall trees on the north departure end. The pilot stated that he “opted to takeoff from the north to the south even though there was a building northwest wind.” Upon rotation, he heard the airplane’s stall warning horn, so he lowered the nose to gain airspeed, but the airplane was “very mushy, and was not gaining altitude.” The pilot struggled to maintain control as the wind pushed the airplane to the east. The airplane collided with a fence and telephone pole, then continued across a road and impacted several trees before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that the other airplane departed to the south without incident.