What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airplane began a takeoff roll with a 5 knot headwind. Half way down the runway, the wind shifted to a 5 to 8 knot tailwind. The airplane nevers became airborne, but rolled off the departure end the runway and impacted grape vines and a tree. (-23) Mr. Ken bray, pilot of N2713C, a homebuilt tailwind W-8 aircraft, taxied to the runway 8 at Germansville Flying m airport. Mr. Bray performed his engine run-up and it checked ok. He set his flaps and started his take-off roll. At about 1500 feet down the runway he decided to abort the take-off due to lack of lift. Mr. Bray could not stop the aircraft before hitting the tree at the FAR end of the runway. The aircraft never became airborne. (.19)on June 21, 1998, about 1830 EDT, a homebuilt narrin-whittman W-8, N2713C, was substantially damaged during a take-off roll from Flying m airport (PA88), Germansville, Pennsylvania. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger were injuried. Visual meteorological conditions pervailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to a federal aviation adminis tration (FAA) inspector, the pilot said the airplane never got off the ground. It ran off the end of the runway, hit a hedgerow and a tree, then cartwheeled. The pilot thought the wind shifted during the take-off due to a nearby thunderstorm.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TAKEOFF ROLL WITH A 5 KNOT HEADWIND. HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE WIND SHIFTED TO A 5 TO 8 KNOT TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE NEVERS BECAME AIRBORNE, BUT ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED GRAPE VINES AND A TREE. (-23) MR. KEN BRAY, PILOT OF N2713C, A HOMEBUILT TAILWIND W-8 AIRCRAFT, TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY 8 AT GERMANSVILLE FLYING M AIRPORT. MR. BRAY PERFORMED HIS ENGINE RUN-UP AND IT CHECKED OK. HE SET HIS FLAPS AND STARTED HIS TAKE-OFF ROLL. AT ABOUT 1500 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY HE DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKE-OFF DUE TO LACK OF LIFT. MR. BRAY COULD NOT STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE HITTING THE TREE AT THE FAR END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT NEVER BECAME AIRBORNE. (.19)ON JUNE 21, 1998, ABOUT 1830 EDT, A HOMEBUILT NARRIN-WHITTMAN W-8, N2713C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A TAKE-OFF ROLL FROM FLYING M AIRPORT (PA88), GERMANSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA. NEITHER THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT NOR HIS PASSENGER WERE INJURIED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PERVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINIS TRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND. IT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HIT A HEDGEROW AND A TREE, THEN CARTWHEELED. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE WIND SHIFTED DURING THE TAKE-OFF DUE TO A NEARBY THUNDERSTORM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.