Event Sequence
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll at approximately 60 knots with a slight crosswind, he felt an abrupt turn to the right, heard a "huge steady scrape" sound, and noted a vibration. After becoming airborne at 65 knots, he experienced a strong gust of wind from the left, which felt like a quartering tailwind. He stated he did not believe the airplane touched back down on the runway after becoming airborne. Following the takeoff, the pilot flew the airplane over the airport, where a local pilot on the ground reported that the nose landing gear was bent.
Landing and Damage
During the subsequent landing, the pilot executed a soft field type of landing, with the main landing gear touching down first. He held the nose landing gear off the ground as long as possible, but when it made contact, he lost directional control and heard a scraping noise. The airplane departed the runway to the right, entered a ditch, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and vertical stabilizer.
Wind Conditions
The pilot took off on runway 17 at about 1410. The weather observation facility at the accident airport reported that from 1355 to 1415, the wind velocity varied from 13 knots to 15 knots with occasional gusts to 19 knots, and the wind direction varied from 190 to 240 degrees.
Aircraft Information
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certificate Data Sheet, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 15 miles per hour (13.03 knots). The FAA has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004), which discusses operations in crosswind conditions. The handbook states that takeoffs and landings in certain crosswind conditions are inadvisable or even dangerous, and that pilots should determine the maximum crosswind component of each airplane they fly and avoid operations exceeding the airplane's capability.