Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. A factor related to the accident was the crosswind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot used runway 27 to take off from the private airstrip. The local area wind was 320 at 20 knots. The pilot stated the wind blew him to the left of the runway after the airplane became airborne. The tailwheel caught on a barbed wire fence, and the airplane cartwheeled to the ground.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 15, 1994, about 1730 central daylight time, an Aeronca 11AC, N9462E, sustained substantial damage when it struck a fence and crashed during takeoff from a private airstrip near Montello, Wisconsin. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot stated he departed the airstrip using runway 27. After becoming airborne he said the wind pushed him to the left side of the runway, and the tail wheel caught a barbed wire fence. After hitting the fence the airplane struck the ground and cartwheeled. The reported wind in the area was from 320 degrees at 20 knots. -