GOLDEN CIRCLE AIR T-BIRD II

Full Narrative

On July 17, 2017, about 1900 mountain daylight time an unregistered Golden Circle Air T-Bird II airplane impacted power lines and terrain near Dunn Center, North Dakota. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight had just departed from a gravel road.

The pilot reported that about 1830 he filled the airplane's fuel tanks with fuel and pulled the airplane out of the storage building. He then walked out to the gravel road to observe the wind conditions for about 10 minutes and determined the wind was 7 to 8 knots from the north-northeast. He completed a preflight inspection, an engine run up, and then started the takeoff roll to the south on the gravel road. The airplane lifted off the gravel road and a wind gust lifted the left wing, the airplane rolled to the right and landed back on the gravel road. The pilot added that he wanted to abort the takeoff, but there wasn't enough gravel road remaining after the wheels touched the ground, so he advanced the throttle to attempt another takeoff. The airplane did not lift off, continued through a fence, and then into a ditch. The airplane became airborne when it exited the ditch and the pilot attempted to avoid power lines by turning left. The airplane collided with the power lines and then descended nose first into the ground.