Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

The pilot was taking off on runway 08L. The reported wind was from 140 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. He encountered a crosswind and the airplane went off the left side of the runway. The propeller was shattered, the right wheel was sheared off the landing gear, and the left wing tip was scraped.

The pilot was asked for the airplane's maximum crosswind component. The pilot said he didn't know because this was an amateur-built airplane with a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category. His airplane has a gross weight of 1,000 pounds. By comparison, a Cessna 152, according to the Cessna Aircraft Company, has a gross weight of 1,670 pounds and a maximum crosswind component of 12 knots. The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions . A contributing factor in this accident was the crosswind.