What happened
During the takeoff roll on runway 29, at approximately 30 mph and roughly 300 feet from the start of the roll, the pilot encountered a strong wind gust from the left side. Despite applying full right rudder and utilizing the right brake, the pilot was unable to maintain the aircraft's heading. This resulted in a ground loop, causing the aircraft to come to rest on the runway at an angle approximately 120 degrees from its original heading.
The impact of the ground loop caused the right main landing gear to collapse. Additionally, the aircraft sustained damage to the right wing, the right stabilizer, and the elevator. The pilot was not injured during the event.
Findings
At the time of the accident, winds were reported at 240 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts reaching 21 knots. An airport witness described the wind conditions as being unpredictably gusty. While there were no mechanical malfunctions reported prior to the takeoff attempt, the pilot noted that a more accurate assessment of the gust severity might have prevented the decision to attempt the takeoff.