What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 30, 1997, at 1500 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180B, N929AE, crashed during takeoff from Spanish Fork, Utah. The airplane was being operataed under visual flight rules as a personal flight. The airplane substantially damaged but the pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological condtions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The airplane had departed corona, California earlier that day and had stopped at Spanish Fork for refueling. The intended desitination for the accident flight was scottsbluff, Nebraska. The pilot stated that he had a 17 knot crosswind from the left during takeoff. The aircraft became airborne too early and then drifted to the right of the runway. The airplane struck the ground and ground looped.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 30, 1997, AT 1500 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 180B, N929AE, CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF FROM SPANISH FORK, UTAH. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATAED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BUT THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED CORONA, CALIFORNIA EARLIER THAT DAY AND HAD STOPPED AT SPANISH FORK FOR REFUELING. THE INTENDED DESITINATION FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD A 17 KNOT CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT DURING TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE TOO EARLY AND THEN DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND AND GROUND LOOPED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.