Yes, I was wondering what I left out too...
The airport owner and the manager, both very experienced on the aircraft type, and with the conditions of the airport, tell the pilot that the grass runway, which is crosswind is also soft due to the wet conditons of spring, and a takeoff would be best done on the paved runway. So what I'm leaving out is: I struggle to imagine how the topic even came about that a takeoff was being considered crosswind, so that advice could be given, then ignored not to do it. The only thing I can imagine is that the pilot thought he could save himself a backtrack the length of the paved runway.
I agree that this should not be a porn site for accidents, and some time ago I railed agaisnt the exploitation and speculation of fatal accidents. I continue to feel that way. I had said then, and believe now that as we only have bent aluminum to deal with, and not bent lives, it can be discussed in the context of learning.
What's to be learned here? Words fail me! I cannot believe that the pilot even considered the possibility of a crosswind takeoff (in winds I can assure all, exceeded 25kts, I was there). Why was a decision even necessary?
I have flown recently with a few pilots for the first time, and found a couple of them to behave with a certain air of invincibility/complacency. One, who really should have known better scared the hell out of me with a poor decision, which even he recognized after the fact.
None of us are invincable. Yesterday I saw a beautiful Cessna wasted as a reminder of this reality. I'll be that little bit more careful as I fly, lest I somehow slip into such silliness. I offer my reminder to the group, in the hope that we can all be reminded not to be invincable/complacent, and fly with care. Following sound advice has some merit too!
Pilot DAR