Takeoff and Loss of Control
The pilot applied aft pressure on the control yoke upon reaching 55 mph on the takeoff roll, and the airplane became airborne. The airplane immediately veered to the left, prompting the pilot to apply right rudder and aileron. The pilot stated that he encountered a strong wind gust from the right. Subsequently, another wind gust hit the airplane, and the pilot lost directional control. The airplane then cartwheeled to the left and came to rest inverted.
Weather Conditions
A weather study completed by the NTSB revealed a low pressure system approaching the Alabama-Georgia border, with a stationary front extending eastward across Georgia in the vicinity of the accident site. Scattered thunderstorms and rain showers were developing along the front. Satellite imagery indicated developing cumulonimbus clouds over the accident site, signifying that thunderstorms were in the immediate vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident. Weather radar radial velocity imagery supported a wind shift in the immediate vicinity, with wind values less than 20 knots between the boundary. No defined microburst signature was noted near the accident site, but a wind analysis supported the presence of a gust front or outflow boundary.