What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft had landed on a county road to make a survey, depart from road stalled and crashed while turning to avoid powe (.4)a witness watched the airplane as it was making its takeoff run from a dirt road. The airplane's tail seemed to strike the crest of a hill, but the airplane did not takeoff. Further down the road, the witness saw the airplane get airborne and begin a turn to the left. The airplane then descended rapidly and hit the ground left wing first. The witness said that the airplane seemed to be rolling and going inverted before it struck the ground. About three seconds after the airplane hit the ground, it burst into flames. The airplane came to rest 25 feet south of a severed power pole, which was approximately 1/2 mile from where the airplane began its takeoff run. Examination of wreckage revailed no anomalies. According the the Piper PA-28 cherokee 235 'b' pilot operating handbook takeoff distance versus density altitude chart, the takeoff distance needed to clear a 50 foot obstacle, for a 2,900 pound gross weight airplane with a density altitude of 6,364 feet MSL, is approximately 2,550 feet. (-23) on June 27, 1998, at 09:50 CST, a Piper pa 28-235, N8903W, registered to Mr. James a. harms, crashed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, a VFR flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was destroyed, and Mr. Harms was fatally injured. The flight originated from kane road, a rural unpaved county road, in seward county Kansas. Mr. Harms elected to take off to the south, the temperature at the time was about 90 degrees, the density altitude was approximately 5579 feet MSL with a right cross wind of about 20 mph. The direction of take off was up hill with power lines to his right, and in front of him, requiring him to do an obstacle take-off. Mr. Allen willimon, the witness, stated he observed Mr. Harms take-off. At about 1300 ft. he saw the tail of the aircraft appear to strike the ground, then the aircraft become airborne at about 1450 ft. and turn left, down wind. The plane then began a rapid descent and hit the ground, bursting into flames. Performance figures obtained from section VI of the pa 28-235 "b", pilots operating handbook, requires a distance of 1700 ft. to get over a 50 ft. obstacle.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT HAD LANDED ON A COUNTY ROAD TO MAKE A SURVEY, DEPART FROM ROAD STALLED AND CRASHED WHILE TURNING TO AVOID POWE (.4)A WITNESS WATCHED THE AIRPLANE AS IT WAS MAKING ITS TAKEOFF RUN FROM A DIRT ROAD. THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL SEEMED TO STRIKE THE CREST OF A HILL, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT TAKEOFF. FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE GET AIRBORNE AND BEGIN A TURN TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND HIT THE GROUND LEFT WING FIRST. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE SEEMED TO BE ROLLING AND GOING INVERTED BEFORE IT STRUCK THE GROUND. ABOUT THREE SECONDS AFTER THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND, IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST 25 FEET SOUTH OF A SEVERED POWER POLE, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM WHERE THE AIRPLANE BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF RUN. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE REVAILED NO ANOMALIES. ACCORDING THE THE PIPER PA-28 CHEROKEE 235 'B' PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK TAKEOFF DISTANCE VERSUS DENSITY ALTITUDE CHART, THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE NEEDED TO CLEAR A 50 FOOT OBSTACLE, FOR A 2,900 POUND GROSS WEIGHT AIRPLANE WITH A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 6,364 FEET MSL, IS APPROXIMATELY 2,550 FEET. (-23) ON JUNE 27, 1998, AT 09:50 CST, A PIPER PA 28-235, N8903W, REGISTERED TO MR. JAMES A. HARMS, CRASHED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND MR. HARMS WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM KANE ROAD, A RURAL UNPAVED COUNTY ROAD, IN SEWARD COUNTY KANSAS. MR. HARMS ELECTED TO TAKE OFF TO THE SOUTH, THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES, THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5579 FEET MSL WITH A RIGHT CROSS WIND OF ABOUT 20 MPH. THE DIRECTION OF TAKE OFF WAS UP HILL WITH POWER LINES TO HIS RIGHT, AND IN FRONT OF HIM, REQUIRING HIM TO DO AN OBSTACLE TAKE-OFF. MR. ALLEN WILLIMON, THE WITNESS, STATED HE OBSERVED MR. HARMS TAKE-OFF. AT ABOUT 1300 FT. HE SAW THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEAR TO STRIKE THE GROUND, THEN THE AIRCRAFT BECOME AIRBORNE AT ABOUT 1450 FT. AND TURN LEFT, DOWN WIND. THE PLANE THEN BEGAN A RAPID DESCENT AND HIT THE GROUND, BURSTING INTO FLAMES. PERFORMANCE FIGURES OBTAINED FROM SECTION VI OF THE PA 28-235 "B", PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK, REQUIRES A DISTANCE OF 1700 FT. TO GET OVER A 50 FT. OBSTACLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.