Genesee County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Batavia, New York 14020
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 10:41 EDT

During the takeoff roll, the airplane became airborne approximately 1,000 feet down the runway. It became 'unstable', the wings rocked from side to side, and the airplane did not appear to be accelerating. The airplane veered to the right, and its tailwheel struck the turf to the right of the pavement. The tailwheel dragged for about 75 feet, until the main landing gear contacted the ground. The right main landing gear separated from the wing, and the were propeller dug into the earth. The airplane continued up a rise, where the lower right wing struck the retaining structure of the tetrahedron delineating circle. The airplane then spun to the right about 180 degrees, and slid backwards about 75 feet. After the accident, an FAA inspector found that all of the airplane's controls were operative. The pilot told him that the engine had operated normally prior to the propeller contacting the ground. The pilot further stated that he thought he had attempted the takeoff at too low an airspeed, and that the airplane had stalled as the pilot attempted to gain altitude. He also noted that prior to taxiing to the runway, the windsock was limp, and there was no noticeable wind; however, after the accident, the windsock indicated 10-12 knots of tailwind. The pilot reported 7,200 hours of total flight time, with 5 hours in the accident airplane, half of which were on the day of the accident.

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed before liftoff, which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the type of airplane.