Glide, OR, USA
N3422N
Piper J3C-65
The pilot reported that during takeoff on runway 12, practicing a short field maneuver, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the aircraft traveled off the side of the airstrip and collided with a fence and trees. The pilot further reported that the airstrip terrain rises steeply on the north end of the strip. The takeoff roll was initiated at the high point and "...not perfectly aligned to take off down steep hill..."
On June 13, 2001, about 1500 Pacific daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N3422N, registered to and flown by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with a fence and trees during takeoff from a private airstrip near Glide, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The pilot reported that during takeoff to the south, practicing a short field maneuver, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the aircraft traveled off the side of the airstrip and collided with a fence and trees. The left wing was bent up and aft about 30 degrees at the wing root and the outboard section of the aileron was bent. The fuselage was also deformed. The pilot further reported that the airstrip terrain rises steeply on the north end of the strip. The takeoff roll was initiated at the high point and "...not perfectly aligned to take off down steep hill..." The accident was not reported at the time. In July 2004, a letter was received in the Portland, Oregon, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards District Office, informing the FAA of the accident. On October 18, 2004, an inspector verified that the aircraft had received substantial damage and subsequently notified the National Transportation Safety Board.
Inadequate compensation for wind conditions during takeoff resulting in the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Wind gusts, down sloping terrain and a fence post were factors.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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