What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft struck trees and crashed, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed, Wooster, AR. (-23) on January 16, 1998, at 16:55 CST, a Piper PA18-135, N99302, operated by a commercial pilot executed a "go-around" during an attempted landing at a private grass strip, (pasture), 3 1/2 miles south of Wooster, Arkansas, the local pleasure flight ended when the pilot elected to climb with a steep left bank angle and then, hit a small group of trees with the left wing at or about 60 feet AGL, the aircraft proceeded to climb and then hit a second group of larger trees with left wing, the aircraft then spiraled into the ground in a flat upright configuration, about 1/4 mile north from the intended landing site. The non instrument rated pilot was fatally injured and the passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft incurred a post impact fire, destroying the aircraft. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No indications of mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft, engine and prop were detected at the crash site. Reviewed aircraft maintenance records, found no entry discrepancies. The annual inspection was performed on 01/1 5/98 and sign off by the pilot. The airmans' flight records were not located. Airman report from okc, indicates 600 flight hours and the last medical was issued on 08/16/90. (3rd class). (.19) on January 16, 1998, approximately 1700 central standard time, a Piper PA-18-135 tail wheel equipped airplane, N99302, registered to a private owner, impacted trees following takeoff from a grass pasture, near Wooster, Arkansas. Subsequent to impacting the trees, the aircraft settled to the ground and was destroyed by a post impact fire. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the sole passenger received serious injuries. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Several eye witnesses, located within 200 meters of the takeoff point, reported that they observed the aircraft land, roll out, and apply power to takeoff. Soon after becoming airborne, the aircraft was observed to have a increased nose up attitude prior to left wing contacting a 70 foot high tree top. Subsequent to the contact with the tree, the witnesses observed the aircraft attempt to climb and turn to the left. The airplane then went out of sight below the tree line. All of the witnesses stated that the engine sounded normal.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT STRUCK TREES AND CRASHED, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, WOOSTER, AR. (-23) ON JANUARY 16, 1998, AT 16:55 CST, A PIPER PA18-135, N99302, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT EXECUTED A "GO-AROUND" DURING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING AT A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP, (PASTURE), 3 1/2 MILES SOUTH OF WOOSTER, ARKANSAS, THE LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT ENDED WHEN THE PILOT ELECTED TO CLIMB WITH A STEEP LEFT BANK ANGLE AND THEN, HIT A SMALL GROUP OF TREES WITH THE LEFT WING AT OR ABOUT 60 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO CLIMB AND THEN HIT A SECOND GROUP OF LARGER TREES WITH LEFT WING, THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPIRALED INTO THE GROUND IN A FLAT UPRIGHT CONFIGURATION, ABOUT 1/4 MILE NORTH FROM THE INTENDED LANDING SITE. THE NON INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED A POST IMPACT FIRE, DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO INDICATIONS OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT, ENGINE AND PROP WERE DETECTED AT THE CRASH SITE. REVIEWED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS, FOUND NO ENTRY DISCREPANCIES. THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 01/1 5/98 AND SIGN OFF BY THE PILOT. THE AIRMANS' FLIGHT RECORDS WERE NOT LOCATED. AIRMAN REPORT FROM OKC, INDICATES 600 FLIGHT HOURS AND THE LAST MEDICAL WAS ISSUED ON 08/16/90. (3RD CLASS). (.19) ON JANUARY 16, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1700 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-18-135 TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N99302, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, IMPACTED TREES FOLLOWING TAKEOFF FROM A GRASS PASTURE, NEAR WOOSTER, ARKANSAS. SUBSEQUENT TO IMPACTING THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND AND WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE SOLE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. SEVERAL EYE WITNESSES, LOCATED WITHIN 200 METERS OF THE TAKEOFF POINT, REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT LAND, ROLL OUT, AND APPLY POWER TO TAKEOFF. SOON AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE A INCREASED NOSE UP ATTITUDE PRIOR TO LEFT WING CONTACTING A 70 FOOT HIGH TREE TOP. SUBSEQUENT TO THE CONTACT WITH THE TREE, THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AND TURN TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT OUT OF SIGHT BELOW THE TREE LINE. ALL OF THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.