What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost control on takeoff with safety CFI pilot. Hit fence and ditch. Indicates early gear retraction near rotation. (-23) both pilots heard a "loud bang" from the right side of the airplane and the flight instructor took command of the flight. The airplane "ballooned into the air, settled onto the left main gear, and then veered to the right." The instructor realized that the propellers had struck the runway. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left, crossed a taxiway at approximately 85 mph, hit a drainage area, and "went back into the air" before coming to rest at the bottom of a ditch. The operator examined the gear system and determined that "the damage occurred to the activating mechanism by the gear retracting upon lift-off from the runway." He did not observe "any major component failure or lack of continuity in (the) gear retracting torque tubes or bellcrank."
As the FAA filed it
LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF WITH SAFETY CFI PILOT. HIT FENCE AND DITCH. INDICATES EARLY GEAR RETRACTION NEAR ROTATION. (-23) BOTH PILOTS HEARD A "LOUD BANG" FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK COMMAND OF THE FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE "BALLOONED INTO THE AIR, SETTLED ONTO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, AND THEN VEERED TO THE RIGHT." THE INSTRUCTOR REALIZED THAT THE PROPELLERS HAD STRUCK THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, CROSSED A TAXIWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH, HIT A DRAINAGE AREA, AND "WENT BACK INTO THE AIR" BEFORE COMING TO REST AT THE BOTTOM OF A DITCH. THE OPERATOR EXAMINED THE GEAR SYSTEM AND DETERMINED THAT "THE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE ACTIVATING MECHANISM BY THE GEAR RETRACTING UPON LIFT-OFF FROM THE RUNWAY." HE DID NOT OBSERVE "ANY MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURE OR LACK OF CONTINUITY IN (THE) GEAR RETRACTING TORQUE TUBES OR BELLCRANK."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.