Narrative:

I am a flight instructor at frederick municipal airport. I work at FBO, which is located on the field. I had ferried our small aircraft (tail dragger) to a nearby, private airstrip for very minor maintenance. When that maintenance was complete I maneuvered the aircraft onto the runway. I had, in the rear seat, the owner along. This private, paved strip is 40 ft wide and 2300 ft long. The small aircraft, so loaded, requires much less than 1000 ft to become airborne. After we were aligned on the centerline and our runup was complete I glanced at the windsock just prior to pwring up. At that time the wind was moderately strong (about 18 KTS at fdk) and at about 25 degrees left to right (25 degrees left of runway heading). I applied full left aileron and full power. Immediately after we attained even moderate speed the aircraft began moving right. I applied full left rudder but still the aircraft drifted right. When I realized the right wheel was going to drop off the edge of the pavement I glanced at the airspeed indicator and realized I could not become airborne in any degree of safety. As the wheel dropped off the pavement I pulled off all available power and simply attempted to avoid a high speed ground loop. We rolled to a stop, actually stopping sideways. While we never ground looped, we did strike the left aileron on an embankment and did nick the outboard 4 inches of the propeller. As to cause, I cannot say reliably. Wind is a strong possibility, although I have some reservations about wind as a sole cause. Having taught people to land this very aircraft, up to and including that morning, I am familiar with its characteristics. I remember feeling that full aileron deflection, along with full rudder should be sufficient. It may have been that my visibility over the high cowling (it is a tail dragger) was insufficient to properly judge my distance from the edge of pavement. I have run through it several times, and while I feel lucky the damage was so minor, I am unsure what, in truth, caused me to move right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL DRAGGER TAKING OFF IN XWIND RUNS OFF SIDE OF RWY.

Narrative: I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR AT FREDERICK MUNICIPAL ARPT. I WORK AT FBO, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE FIELD. I HAD FERRIED OUR SMA (TAIL DRAGGER) TO A NEARBY, PRIVATE AIRSTRIP FOR VERY MINOR MAINT. WHEN THAT MAINT WAS COMPLETE I MANEUVERED THE ACFT ONTO THE RWY. I HAD, IN THE REAR SEAT, THE OWNER ALONG. THIS PRIVATE, PAVED STRIP IS 40 FT WIDE AND 2300 FT LONG. THE SMA, SO LOADED, REQUIRES MUCH LESS THAN 1000 FT TO BECOME AIRBORNE. AFTER WE WERE ALIGNED ON THE CTRLINE AND OUR RUNUP WAS COMPLETE I GLANCED AT THE WINDSOCK JUST PRIOR TO PWRING UP. AT THAT TIME THE WIND WAS MODERATELY STRONG (ABOUT 18 KTS AT FDK) AND AT ABOUT 25 DEGS L TO R (25 DEGS L OF RWY HDG). I APPLIED FULL L AILERON AND FULL PWR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE ATTAINED EVEN MODERATE SPD THE ACFT BEGAN MOVING R. I APPLIED FULL L RUDDER BUT STILL THE ACFT DRIFTED R. WHEN I REALIZED THE R WHEEL WAS GOING TO DROP OFF THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT I GLANCED AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR AND REALIZED I COULD NOT BECOME AIRBORNE IN ANY DEG OF SAFETY. AS THE WHEEL DROPPED OFF THE PAVEMENT I PULLED OFF ALL AVAILABLE PWR AND SIMPLY ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A HIGH SPD GND LOOP. WE ROLLED TO A STOP, ACTUALLY STOPPING SIDEWAYS. WHILE WE NEVER GND LOOPED, WE DID STRIKE THE L AILERON ON AN EMBANKMENT AND DID NICK THE OUTBOARD 4 INCHES OF THE PROP. AS TO CAUSE, I CANNOT SAY RELIABLY. WIND IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT WIND AS A SOLE CAUSE. HAVING TAUGHT PEOPLE TO LAND THIS VERY ACFT, UP TO AND INCLUDING THAT MORNING, I AM FAMILIAR WITH ITS CHARACTERISTICS. I REMEMBER FEELING THAT FULL AILERON DEFLECTION, ALONG WITH FULL RUDDER SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT MY VISIBILITY OVER THE HIGH COWLING (IT IS A TAIL DRAGGER) WAS INSUFFICIENT TO PROPERLY JUDGE MY DISTANCE FROM THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT. I HAVE RUN THROUGH IT SEVERAL TIMES, AND WHILE I FEEL LUCKY THE DAMAGE WAS SO MINOR, I AM UNSURE WHAT, IN TRUTH, CAUSED ME TO MOVE R.

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.