What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Attempted night takeoff from unlighted runway. Wing struck hay bale in adjacent field. Auto lights wrong position. (-23) the pilot was departing Poseyville Employment airport at approximately 1945 on Sunday evening (09/24/95). He was using runway 22. He told his father to drive to the end of the runway and to turn the vehicle around so the head lights pointed down the runway toward the aircraft. He would then use the head lights to stay aligned on the runway during takeoff. His father drove to the opposite end of a different runway, runway 18. He turned the vehicle around and pointed the head lights toward the aircraft. On the takeoff roll, the aircraft exited the runway in an attempt to head toward the vehicle lights. The aircraft entered a corn field and hit a large hay bale with the right wing. The wing was torn from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ATTEMPTED NIGHT TAKEOFF FROM UNLIGHTED RUNWAY. WING STRUCK HAY BALE IN ADJACENT FIELD. AUTO LIGHTS WRONG POSITION. (-23) THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING POSEYVILLE EMPLOYMENT AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1945 ON SUNDAY EVENING (09/24/95). HE WAS USING RUNWAY 22. HE TOLD HIS FATHER TO DRIVE TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND TO TURN THE VEHICLE AROUND SO THE HEAD LIGHTS POINTED DOWN THE RUNWAY TOWARD THE AIRCRAFT. HE WOULD THEN USE THE HEAD LIGHTS TO STAY ALIGNED ON THE RUNWAY DURING TAKEOFF. HIS FATHER DROVE TO THE OPPOSITE END OF A DIFFERENT RUNWAY, RUNWAY 18. HE TURNED THE VEHICLE AROUND AND POINTED THE HEAD LIGHTS TOWARD THE AIRCRAFT. ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO HEAD TOWARD THE VEHICLE LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A CORN FIELD AND HIT A LARGE HAY BALE WITH THE RIGHT WING. THE WING WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.