Lima Sky Raider I

Full Narrative

The pilot was flying an amateur-built Sky Raider I, an experimental light sport aircraft. He stated to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors that he had purchased the airplane approximately 3 hours prior to the accident flight. The previous owner briefed him on some of the flying characteristics of the airplane, but the pilot had no flight experience in the make and model airplane. The pilot took off on runway a 9, a 2,620-foot long turf runway. About 2 or 3 seconds after becoming airborne, a gust of wind yawed the airplane 45 degrees to the right, toward several hangars and electrical power lines. The pilot attempted to gain sufficient altitude to clear the obstacles, but the airplane abruptly stalled, rolled to the right, and impacted the roof of a hangar. The pilot did not report any preimpact failure or malfunction with the airplane or its systems. The reported wind at an airport about 7 miles northeast of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 110 degrees at 11 knots.