FOXWORTHY ROY CHRISTEN EAGLE
Bell City, LA — February 14, 2016
Event Information
| Date | February 14, 2016 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA16CA131 |
| Event ID | 20160216X70419 |
| Location | Bell City, LA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 30.03917, -93.08639 |
| Airport | BRUCE BEARD |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | FOXWORTHY ROY |
| Model | CHRISTEN EAGLE |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over.
Full Narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped biplane reported that during takeoff he encountered an "unexpected wind gust." Subsequently, the airplane departed the grass runway to the left into "muddy" terrain. The pilot reported that he reduced the power to idle during the runway excursion, but the airplane sunk into the mud and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the top left wing.
About the time of the accident 8 nautical miles northwest of the destination airport, an automated weather observing system reported wind conditions of 170 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.