Narrative:

Student pilot and I were departing 20Y. The student pilot was at the controls, executing a soft field takeoff, in which elevator pressure is used to face the nose wheel from the runway surface. As the aircraft transitioned into flight, maintaining ground effect, a strong wind gust began to push the aft toward the left side of the grass runway, causing the left wing to drop. At this point, I took over the controls, immediately leveling the wings and attempting to regain sufficient airspeed for climb out. Because of our low airspeed, I was forced to maintain a level flight attitude approximately 2' above the ground. (At this point, the aircraft was too far from the runway centerline to facilitate a safe T/D.) the only option was to hold the level attitude and gain climb speed. Unfortunately, an instant after the aircraft was brought under my control, it struck a runway light shaft. This blow caused an immediate, rapid left bank, putting the aircraft into a soft plowed field. Damage to the aircraft included complete shearing of the right main gear, failure (bending) of the nose gear and a bent propeller. Neither of us were injured, and according to NTSB 830, we were not required to notify the NTSB. I feel that the accident was inadvertent, and a result of bad circumstances; not a result of my lack of flying skill. However, please file this report as an indication that I have learned from this experience, and have made an effort to exhibit this fact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WITH SPI LOSES CTL ON TKOF. RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT AND I WERE DEPARTING 20Y. THE STUDENT PLT WAS AT THE CTLS, EXECUTING A SOFT FIELD TKOF, IN WHICH ELEVATOR PRESSURE IS USED TO FACE THE NOSE WHEEL FROM THE RWY SURFACE. AS THE ACFT TRANSITIONED INTO FLT, MAINTAINING GND EFFECT, A STRONG WIND GUST BEGAN TO PUSH THE AFT TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GRASS RWY, CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO DROP. AT THIS POINT, I TOOK OVER THE CTLS, IMMEDIATELY LEVELING THE WINGS AND ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPD FOR CLBOUT. BECAUSE OF OUR LOW AIRSPD, I WAS FORCED TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL FLT ATTITUDE APPROX 2' ABOVE THE GND. (AT THIS POINT, THE ACFT WAS TOO FAR FROM THE RWY CENTERLINE TO FACILITATE A SAFE T/D.) THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO HOLD THE LEVEL ATTITUDE AND GAIN CLB SPD. UNFORTUNATELY, AN INSTANT AFTER THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT UNDER MY CTL, IT STRUCK A RWY LIGHT SHAFT. THIS BLOW CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE, RAPID LEFT BANK, PUTTING THE ACFT INTO A SOFT PLOWED FIELD. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT INCLUDED COMPLETE SHEARING OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR, FAILURE (BENDING) OF THE NOSE GEAR AND A BENT PROP. NEITHER OF US WERE INJURED, AND ACCORDING TO NTSB 830, WE WERE NOT REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE NTSB. I FEEL THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS INADVERTENT, AND A RESULT OF BAD CIRCUMSTANCES; NOT A RESULT OF MY LACK OF FLYING SKILL. HOWEVER, PLEASE FILE THIS RPT AS AN INDICATION THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE, AND HAVE MADE AN EFFORT TO EXHIBIT THIS FACT.

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.