N134DDAviat Aircraft A-1C-200 · 2008

The pilot reported that he was departing to the southwest in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that shortly after liftoff the airplane encountered a gust of wind that "blew the aircraft sideways." Despite the pilot's control inputs, he was unable to recover and the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low, right bank attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 37 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to the accident. He noted in his written statement that the accident could have been prevented if he had postponed the departure until wind conditions improved.

During the landing roll at a 1,000 foot long remote dirt airstrip, the pilot encountered gusting winds that varied in the their direction. While focused on compensating for the unfavorable winds, the pilot failed to slow the airplane sufficiently to ensure that it could be stopped prior to reaching the end of the airstrip. The airplane therefore overran the end of the airstrip, impacted a number of large rocks, and flipped over onto its back. The accident sequence resulted in damage to the top of the vertical stabilizer, and a permanent bend in both of the lift struts on the left side of the airplane.