Narrative:

I ground looped the taildragger PT26 in the early stages of the takeoff roll. I was departing on runway 17 and the wind was 110 degrees at 8 KTS. During the takeoff roll, I momentarily took my eyes off the runway to check my airspeed, which was just below 60 mph and when I raised my eyes the left wing was high. I corrected with full left stick and instinctively, but incorrectly gave some left rudder also, quickly turning the aircraft off the runway. Once the aircraft was heading off the runway, I tried to re-establish control and kept the aircraft away from the runway lights and markers. I ended up doing a wide 360 degree turn in the grass between the runway and taxiway, eventually returning safely to the runway. There was no apparent damage to the aircraft and no damage to any objects on the ground. I contacted the tower to request clearance to the east ramp to thoroughly inspect the aircraft. No damage was found. The aircraft bounced on the grass, like on a slightly hard landing, but no other excessive forces or loads were experienced. In debriefing with the owner/pilot/passenger, who was in the back seat, he said I failed to keep the main gear on the ground until sufficient airspeed had been reached, allowing the crosswind to raise the left wing. My losing the orientation of the runway, due to looking at the airspeed, and putting in left rudder with the left aileron caused the sudden turn off the runway. I had previous experience with similar xwinds with instructor, and successfully took off and landed in these same conditions, however, I plan on taking further crosswind training. My low time on type and in taildraggers was also a contributing factor. (Total time in taildraggers = 35.3 hours.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOST ACFT CTL IN A 7 KT XWIND AND WENT OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: I GND LOOPED THE TAILDRAGGER PT26 IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TKOF ROLL. I WAS DEPARTING ON RWY 17 AND THE WIND WAS 110 DEGS AT 8 KTS. DURING THE TKOF ROLL, I MOMENTARILY TOOK MY EYES OFF THE RWY TO CHK MY AIRSPD, WHICH WAS JUST BELOW 60 MPH AND WHEN I RAISED MY EYES THE L WING WAS HIGH. I CORRECTED WITH FULL L STICK AND INSTINCTIVELY, BUT INCORRECTLY GAVE SOME L RUDDER ALSO, QUICKLY TURNING THE ACFT OFF THE RWY. ONCE THE ACFT WAS HDG OFF THE RWY, I TRIED TO RE-ESTABLISH CTL AND KEPT THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE RWY LIGHTS AND MARKERS. I ENDED UP DOING A WIDE 360 DEG TURN IN THE GRASS BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY, EVENTUALLY RETURNING SAFELY TO THE RWY. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO DAMAGE TO ANY OBJECTS ON THE GND. I CONTACTED THE TWR TO REQUEST CLRNC TO THE E RAMP TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE ACFT. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE ACFT BOUNCED ON THE GRASS, LIKE ON A SLIGHTLY HARD LNDG, BUT NO OTHER EXCESSIVE FORCES OR LOADS WERE EXPERIENCED. IN DEBRIEFING WITH THE OWNER/PLT/PAX, WHO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT, HE SAID I FAILED TO KEEP THE MAIN GEAR ON THE GND UNTIL SUFFICIENT AIRSPD HAD BEEN REACHED, ALLOWING THE XWIND TO RAISE THE L WING. MY LOSING THE ORIENTATION OF THE RWY, DUE TO LOOKING AT THE AIRSPD, AND PUTTING IN L RUDDER WITH THE L AILERON CAUSED THE SUDDEN TURN OFF THE RWY. I HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH SIMILAR XWINDS WITH INSTRUCTOR, AND SUCCESSFULLY TOOK OFF AND LANDED IN THESE SAME CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, I PLAN ON TAKING FURTHER XWIND TRAINING. MY LOW TIME ON TYPE AND IN TAILDRAGGERS WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. (TOTAL TIME IN TAILDRAGGERS = 35.3 HRS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.