What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Premature liftoff behind power curve. Settled stall mushed to impact. Helicopter pilot. Minimum fixed wing time. (.4)the pilot said that they had just taken off and were 'approximately 20 to 25 feet in the air when the engine RPM dropped from 2,700 to 400.' As the airspeed decreased, the airplane began to roll to the left. The pilot said that he kept the nose of the airplane up, and leveled the wings. 'As the airplane began to settle, the RPM zoomed to 700. The airplane touched down and then bounced back into the air.' The airplane was about 20 feet above the ground when the RPM dropped to zero and the left wing dropped again. The pilot again leveled the wings. By this time the airplane was left of the runway. The pilot decided to land in the dirt along-side the runway. 'The airplane touched down hard and then slid for a short distance.' The passenger in the right front seat said that after a short takeoff roll, the airplane got airborne, came down, bounced back in the air, and then came down very fast hitting left wing first. The passenger in the right rear sea t said that it was loud when they took off and that the airplane was vibrating and seemed very rough. Exmination of the airplane's stabilizer trim showed an almost full nose up trim setting. The rudder trim was set at full nose left. No other anomalies were revealed with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
PREMATURE LIFTOFF BEHIND POWER CURVE. SETTLED STALL MUSHED TO IMPACT. HELICOPTER PILOT. MINIMUM FIXED WING TIME. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT THEY HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND WERE 'APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 2,700 TO 400.' AS THE AIRSPEED DECREASED, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO ROLL TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE KEPT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE UP, AND LEVELED THE WINGS. 'AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SETTLE, THE RPM ZOOMED TO 700. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR.' THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE RPM DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED AGAIN. THE PILOT AGAIN LEVELED THE WINGS. BY THIS TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND IN THE DIRT ALONG-SIDE THE RUNWAY. 'THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND THEN SLID FOR A SHORT DISTANCE.' THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT SAID THAT AFTER A SHORT TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE GOT AIRBORNE, CAME DOWN, BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR, AND THEN CAME DOWN VERY FAST HITTING LEFT WING FIRST. THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT REAR SEA T SAID THAT IT WAS LOUD WHEN THEY TOOK OFF AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS VIBRATING AND SEEMED VERY ROUGH. EXMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S STABILIZER TRIM SHOWED AN ALMOST FULL NOSE UP TRIM SETTING. THE RUDDER TRIM WAS SET AT FULL NOSE LEFT. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE REVEALED WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.