What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Downwind takeoff due mountains in area. Turned wrong way. Settled into trees on rising terrain. Density alt factor. (-23) Avery county airport (7A8) also known as Morrison field is located in Spruce Pine, north carolina. There is mountainous terrain towering to the west, northwest, north, and east. Because of this terrain, and when wind conditions are less than 10 knots tailwind component, local pilots prefer to depart runway 16, and turn right to a southwesterly course so as to parallel the dominant ridgeline as they climb. This was the pilots first departure from 7A8 and after departing runway 16, with a tailwind, he turned left. Once established on a easterly heading the situation deteriorated quickly. The pilot said he dared not turn so close to the treetops, and the airspeed must have slowed as the aircraft was not able to climb as rapidly as the terrain was rising. The aircraft then settled into the treetops. The pilot said that the plane was suspended in the trees for what seemed a very long time. Then the outboard wing panels separated, and the plane crashed to the forest floor and caught fire. Badly bruised, the pilot still was able to pul l his wife clear of the burning wreckage. The Piper PA-28, known as a "cheerokee", was destroyed by flames.
As the FAA filed it
DOWNWIND TAKEOFF DUE MOUNTAINS IN AREA. TURNED WRONG WAY. SETTLED INTO TREES ON RISING TERRAIN. DENSITY ALT FACTOR. (-23) AVERY COUNTY AIRPORT (7A8) ALSO KNOWN AS MORRISON FIELD IS LOCATED IN SPRUCE PINE, NORTH CAROLINA. THERE IS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TOWERING TO THE WEST, NORTHWEST, NORTH, AND EAST. BECAUSE OF THIS TERRAIN, AND WHEN WIND CONDITIONS ARE LESS THAN 10 KNOTS TAILWIND COMPONENT, LOCAL PILOTS PREFER TO DEPART RUNWAY 16, AND TURN RIGHT TO A SOUTHWESTERLY COURSE SO AS TO PARALLEL THE DOMINANT RIDGELINE AS THEY CLIMB. THIS WAS THE PILOTS FIRST DEPARTURE FROM 7A8 AND AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 16, WITH A TAILWIND, HE TURNED LEFT. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON A EASTERLY HEADING THE SITUATION DETERIORATED QUICKLY. THE PILOT SAID HE DARED NOT TURN SO CLOSE TO THE TREETOPS, AND THE AIRSPEED MUST HAVE SLOWED AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO CLIMB AS RAPIDLY AS THE TERRAIN WAS RISING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED INTO THE TREETOPS. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE PLANE WAS SUSPENDED IN THE TREES FOR WHAT SEEMED A VERY LONG TIME. THEN THE OUTBOARD WING PANELS SEPARATED, AND THE PLANE CRASHED TO THE FOREST FLOOR AND CAUGHT FIRE. BADLY BRUISED, THE PILOT STILL WAS ABLE TO PUL L HIS WIFE CLEAR OF THE BURNING WRECKAGE. THE PIPER PA-28, KNOWN AS A "CHEEROKEE", WAS DESTROYED BY FLAMES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.