N96709Taylorcraft BC12-D

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during takeoff, the airplane lifted off and he felt "a strange push" and the airplane drifted left towards some hangars. He made corrections toward the runway centerline and the airplane felt "mushy." The airspeed decreased, so he lowered the nose to increase the airspeed. The airplane "continued to [aerodynamically] stall." The airplane landed in a soft field and came to a sudden stop.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The automated weather observation station, located 6 miles to the east, reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 23 minutes after the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot reported that the wind was 7 to 10 mph from the south-southeast and shifted to 7 to 10 mph from the north-northeast. The pilot departed on runway 18.