What happened
The accident occurred at Hualapai Airport in Peach Springs, Arizona, during takeoff operations on a dirt runway. According to pilot reports, atmospheric conditions were unstable, with winds shifting from calm to gusts of 15 knots. After the aircraft rotated for liftoff, it began drifting laterally to the left. The pilot attempted to correct this movement but lost control of the lateral position.
During the correction attempt, the left main landing gear made contact with an object beside the runway. It was reported that the aircraft struck a berm located adjacent to the dirt strip. Despite the impact and resulting structural damage, the pilot maintained the ability to fly. The gear was left in the extended position as the pilot navigated to Kingman, where the aircraft landed without further incident.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the airframe revealed significant structural damage concentrated on the left side. The left main landing gear assembly had been pushed aft from its normal position. Additionally, both the forward and aft spars of the left wing were found to be twisted. The skin of the left wing exhibited popped rivets and wrinkling on both the upper and lower surfaces, indicating substantial stress during the ground contact event.