What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
150 Ft AGL and 2000FT down runway. Rolled left and down. Hit embankment and burned. Break in stablizer cable. (.4)a witness reported that the airplane departed the airport towards the west, with a tailwind. The airplane 'fishtailed' down the runway, and once airborne, the airplane's wings rocked back and forth several times before it went into a nose-high attitude. The left wing dropped, the airplane made a descending turn to the south, impacted an embankment and caught fire. The engine was heard running throughout the takeoff sequence. The pilot purchased the airplane two days prior to the accident, and had the previous owner fly with him, after the purchase, to familiarize him with the airplane. The accident airplane was the first tailwheel airplane without a stick that the pilot had flown. The pilot also reported to the previous owner that most of his flight experience had been in an Ercoupe that did not have rudders and flaps. The pilot had flown 9 times in the past 11 years, and had accumulated 3.1 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane. No pre-impact malfunction with the airplane or the engine was found. (-23)witness related that the aircraft had problem stabilizing on take-off. At approximately 50'-150' above ground and 200 feet down the runway, aircraft rolled to the left and down. The aircraft hit a 5 foot sloped embankment and came to rest bellt down on a heading of 273. Shortly after, it burst into flames. Note: pilot had only 3.1 hours in this type model aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
150 FT AGL AND 2000FT DOWN RUNWAY. ROLLED LEFT AND DOWN. HIT EMBANKMENT AND BURNED. BREAK IN STABLIZER CABLE. (.4)A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT TOWARDS THE WEST, WITH A TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE 'FISHTAILED' DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND ONCE AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT WENT INTO A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE. THE LEFT WING DROPPED, THE AIRPLANE MADE A DESCENDING TURN TO THE SOUTH, IMPACTED AN EMBANKMENT AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS HEARD RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE TAKEOFF SEQUENCE. THE PILOT PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER FLY WITH HIM, AFTER THE PURCHASE, TO FAMILIARIZE HIM WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS THE FIRST TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE WITHOUT A STICK THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT MOST OF HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN IN AN ERCOUPE THAT DID NOT HAVE RUDDERS AND FLAPS. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 9 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 YEARS, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 3.1 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. NO PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE ENGINE WAS FOUND. (-23)WITNESS RELATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD PROBLEM STABILIZING ON TAKE-OFF. AT APPROXIMATELY 50'-150' ABOVE GROUND AND 200 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A 5 FOOT SLOPED EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST BELLT DOWN ON A HEADING OF 273. SHORTLY AFTER, IT BURST INTO FLAMES. NOTE: PILOT HAD ONLY 3.1 HOURS IN THIS TYPE MODEL AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.