CLOVIS, NM, USA
N1754A
Piper PA-18
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings. He reported that during the third landing, a gust of wind caught the tail wheel as it touched down, turning the aircraft to the left. He tried to increase power to lift off but 'was out of control.' Subsequently, the left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft 'cart wheeled.' The pilot reported that the winds were from the south at 2 knots and that the gust of wind was 'unexpected.' A nearby weather facility, reported the winds to be from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
On June 27, 1997, approximately 1730 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18 airplane, N1754A, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at a private airstrip, near Clovis, New Mexico. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported, via a statement in NTSB form 6120.1/2, that he was doing touch and go landings on runway 36. He reported that during the third landing, a gust of wind caught the tail wheel equipped airplane as it touched down, turning the aircraft to the left. He tried to increase power to lift off but "was out of control." Subsequently, the left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft "cart wheeled", resulting in structural damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported the steady state winds to be from the south at 2 knots and that the gust of wind was "unexpected." A nearby weather reported facility (AWOS), located at Clovis Municipal Airport, reported the winds to be from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A factor was an unexpected gust of wind during landing touch down.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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