What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On departure from ag strip, turned right, and crashed. Exploded upon impact. (-23) on may 19, 1997, at 1335 CDT, a pezetel M-18A agricultural airplane, N8089Z, was destroyed following a loss of control during intitial takeoff climb near Wilmot, Arkansas. The non-instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Wilmot aviation inc. visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane came to rest on a measured heading of 210 degrees in a cotton field. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. Preliminary inspection at the crash site, revealed that a flight control lock was installed on the left elevator and did not have a visible streamer attached to it.
As the FAA filed it
ON DEPARTURE FROM AG STRIP, TURNED RIGHT, AND CRASHED. EXPLODED UPON IMPACT. (-23) ON MAY 19, 1997, AT 1335 CDT, A PEZETEL M-18A AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N8089Z, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING INTITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB NEAR WILMOT, ARKANSAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY WILMOT AVIATION INC. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON A MEASURED HEADING OF 210 DEGREES IN A COTTON FIELD. A POST-IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION AT THE CRASH SITE, REVEALED THAT A FLIGHT CONTROL LOCK WAS INSTALLED ON THE LEFT ELEVATOR AND DID NOT HAVE A VISIBLE STREAMER ATTACHED TO IT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.