What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landed refuel iced up. Declined deicing. Pilot knocked off ice. Settled on takeoff. Hit pole and fence. Misjudgment (-23) aircraft departed on return trip to ypsilanti, mi following refueling and pick up of passenger (relative of second pilot). Aircraft was observed to arrive with rime ice accumulation on leading edge of engine spinners, wings,horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Pilot was offered opportunity for de-icing, but declined and was observed knocking ice off wings prior to departure. During takeoff, aircraft was observed making a slightly longer than normal takeoff roll. Aircraft had stall indication shortly after lift-off, yawing to left. Pilot claimed loss of power, but engine checks post accident were normal. Aircraft contacted the ground, hit utility pole and went through combination chain-link/barbed wire fence at airport boundary. Gear was retracted following impact, and was not extended for ground impact. Aircraft was observed with light coating of ice on top of fuselage and wings after impact. The light coating could have occurred during taxi and takeoff as a mix of freezing rain/snow was falling at the time with deteriora ting weather conditions. Rime ice was noted on vertical and horizontal stabilizers after impact. Crew (written) stated that they checked and were operating deicing equipment. Initial interview does not agree with written statement.
As the FAA filed it
LANDED REFUEL ICED UP. DECLINED DEICING. PILOT KNOCKED OFF ICE. SETTLED ON TAKEOFF. HIT POLE AND FENCE. MISJUDGMENT (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON RETURN TRIP TO YPSILANTI, MI FOLLOWING REFUELING AND PICK UP OF PASSENGER (RELATIVE OF SECOND PILOT). AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ARRIVE WITH RIME ICE ACCUMULATION ON LEADING EDGE OF ENGINE SPINNERS, WINGS,HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS. PILOT WAS OFFERED OPPORTUNITY FOR DE-ICING, BUT DECLINED AND WAS OBSERVED KNOCKING ICE OFF WINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. DURING TAKEOFF, AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL TAKEOFF ROLL. AIRCRAFT HAD STALL INDICATION SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, YAWING TO LEFT. PILOT CLAIMED LOSS OF POWER, BUT ENGINE CHECKS POST ACCIDENT WERE NORMAL. AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND, HIT UTILITY POLE AND WENT THROUGH COMBINATION CHAIN-LINK/BARBED WIRE FENCE AT AIRPORT BOUNDARY. GEAR WAS RETRACTED FOLLOWING IMPACT, AND WAS NOT EXTENDED FOR GROUND IMPACT. AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED WITH LIGHT COATING OF ICE ON TOP OF FUSELAGE AND WINGS AFTER IMPACT. THE LIGHT COATING COULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING TAXI AND TAKEOFF AS A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN/SNOW WAS FALLING AT THE TIME WITH DETERIORA TING WEATHER CONDITIONS. RIME ICE WAS NOTED ON VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AFTER IMPACT. CREW (WRITTEN) STATED THAT THEY CHECKED AND WERE OPERATING DEICING EQUIPMENT. INITIAL INTERVIEW DOES NOT AGREE WITH WRITTEN STATEMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.