Incident Sequence
A private pilot operating a single-engine tailwheel equipped airplane mistakenly landed on a 1,600-foot long by 22-foot wide asphalt residential street. The intended destination was a 2,600-foot long by 26-foot wide asphalt runway located approximately 4,000 feet west of the street. Both the runway and the street were oriented north-south and terminated at the same east-west road. Additionally, both locations had orange windsocks situated to the east.
During the landing, the airplane’s left wing impacted a signpost adjacent to the street. After landing, the pilot performed a brief back taxi on the street and then attempted a takeoff. Shortly after liftoff, the airplane drifted under two adjacent transmission lines. As it continued to climb, the left wing came up under the lower transmission line and slid along it before the airplane rolled across the wires. The aircraft then impacted the ground in a near-vertical descent, and a postcrash fire erupted.
Investigation
An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.