Narrative:

Wind was blowing approximately 60 degrees to the runway. No other traffic. Cleared into position and cleared for takeoff. I waited a short time, noticing the wind at times decreased. Started my takeoff roll in a tailwheel airplane. As I started to push the nose over, a severe gust from my left hit the airplane and swerved the aircraft to the left towards the grass. I held left aileron, right rudder, and attempted to step on the right brake to correct the yaw and possible ground loop, only to find that the right brake failed. The airplane continued to swerve left at an approximately 45 degree angle. I was at a speed that I knew the airplane would fly, so I elected to pull the aircraft off the ground since it was the safest thing to do. With the nose high attitude, getting close to the runway edge, at about a 30 degree angle, I felt what I thought was the left tire hitting the grass, sod, or corner of the concrete. I continued the climb out and the tower said I was cleared for a right turnout of the area. Approximately 10-15 mins later, the tower called me and asked if the aircraft was alright. I said yes, why? And they informed me that the airplane had taken out one of the taxi lights. I looked down at my left gear and saw no damage and called them back and apologized. They then cleared me out of their airspace and frequency change approved. Remainder of flight was uneventful except for repairing right brake. Factors that I can surmise are an unpredictable gust of wind and the failure of the brake. (The brake worked during the taxi out.) corrective and safest action was to continue the liftoff. The only other corrective action could be to move taxiway lights a little further from the runway edges and intxns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAILWHEEL ACFT PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT ON TKOF IN GUSTY XWINDS. ACFT HIT A RWY LIGHT.

Narrative: WIND WAS BLOWING APPROX 60 DEGS TO THE RWY. NO OTHER TFC. CLRED INTO POS AND CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAITED A SHORT TIME, NOTICING THE WIND AT TIMES DECREASED. STARTED MY TKOF ROLL IN A TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE. AS I STARTED TO PUSH THE NOSE OVER, A SEVERE GUST FROM MY L HIT THE AIRPLANE AND SWERVED THE ACFT TO THE L TOWARDS THE GRASS. I HELD L AILERON, R RUDDER, AND ATTEMPTED TO STEP ON THE R BRAKE TO CORRECT THE YAW AND POSSIBLE GND LOOP, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE R BRAKE FAILED. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SWERVE L AT AN APPROX 45 DEG ANGLE. I WAS AT A SPD THAT I KNEW THE AIRPLANE WOULD FLY, SO I ELECTED TO PULL THE ACFT OFF THE GND SINCE IT WAS THE SAFEST THING TO DO. WITH THE NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, GETTING CLOSE TO THE RWY EDGE, AT ABOUT A 30 DEG ANGLE, I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE L TIRE HITTING THE GRASS, SOD, OR CORNER OF THE CONCRETE. I CONTINUED THE CLBOUT AND THE TWR SAID I WAS CLRED FOR A R TURNOUT OF THE AREA. APPROX 10-15 MINS LATER, THE TWR CALLED ME AND ASKED IF THE ACFT WAS ALRIGHT. I SAID YES, WHY? AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD TAKEN OUT ONE OF THE TAXI LIGHTS. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY L GEAR AND SAW NO DAMAGE AND CALLED THEM BACK AND APOLOGIZED. THEY THEN CLRED ME OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR REPAIRING R BRAKE. FACTORS THAT I CAN SURMISE ARE AN UNPREDICTABLE GUST OF WIND AND THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE. (THE BRAKE WORKED DURING THE TAXI OUT.) CORRECTIVE AND SAFEST ACTION WAS TO CONTINUE THE LIFTOFF. THE ONLY OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION COULD BE TO MOVE TXWY LIGHTS A LITTLE FURTHER FROM THE RWY EDGES AND INTXNS.

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.