On October 5, 1997 at 1115 hours Pacific daylight time, the right wing of a Cessna 185F, N17SR, contacted runway 33, the aircraft veered left and came to rest nose down at the Oakland, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed to Modesto, California. The pilot reported that the tower had cleared him for takeoff on runway 33. He said he started the initial takeoff roll and lifted the tail of the aircraft, then a gust of wind caused the right wing tip to strike the pavement. At this point the plane veered left, and the pilot pulled back on the throttle. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in a nose down position. The winds at the time of the accident were from 290 degrees at 13 knots. An FAA inspector established on-scene that there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the aircraft or engine.