What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft failed to gain altitude on takeoff, struck a road embankment nose first, and crashed and burned. (.23)on August 22, 1998, at approximately 1245 local mountain daylight time, a Cessna 175A, N6874E was destroyed on impactwith terrain following a loss of control after takeoff from Tri-County Airport, Erie Colorado. The private pilot and 2 of his passengers were fatally injured; and a third passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under title 14CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight which was originating out of the Erie Tri-County Airport at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed. Witnesses reported that the airplane departed from runway 15,flew "low accross the ground, in a very nose high attitude" and impactedth e ground in a vertical attitude.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT FAILED TO GAIN ALTITUDE ON TAKEOFF, STRUCK A ROAD EMBANKMENT NOSE FIRST, AND CRASHED AND BURNED. (.23)ON AUGUST 22, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 LOCAL MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 175A, N6874E WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACTWITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AFTER TAKEOFF FROM TRI-COUNTY AIRPORT, ERIE COLORADO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND 2 OF HIS PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED; AND A THIRD PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WHICH WAS ORIGINATING OUT OF THE ERIE TRI-COUNTY AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 15,FLEW "LOW ACCROSS THE GROUND, IN A VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE" AND IMPACTEDTH E GROUND IN A VERTICAL ATTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.