On September 12, 1998, a Stinson 108-1 (registration N8548K) was involved in an aviation accident near Tahlequah, OK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot lost control of the airplane during takeoff when a gust of wind pitched the airplane to a 25-30 degrees nose-up attitude and rolled the airplane right. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot lost control during takeoff from runway 17 when a gust of wind caused an extreme nose-up attitude and right roll. The aircraft drifted right, struck the ground inverted. Winds were gusting to 23 knots, and a witness reported dust devils.
Accident Details
During takeoff from runway 17, the pilot lost control of the airplane when a gust of wind pitched the aircraft to a nose-up attitude of 25 to 30 degrees and rolled the airplane to the right. The pilot lowered the nose, but the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, where the right wing impacted the ground. The aircraft subsequently came to rest inverted.
Weather Conditions
The nearest weather observation facility, located at Davis Field near Muskogee, Oklahoma, 23 nautical miles southwest of Tahlequah Municipal Airport, recorded winds at 110 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 23 knots at 0953. A witness reported seeing dust devils in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident.
Probable cause
The pilot lost control of the airplane during takeoff when a gust of wind pitched the airplane to a 25-30 degrees nose-up attitude and rolled the airplane right.