What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 18, 1998, approximately 1030 pacific daylight time, a cora Allegro, registered in the czech republic as OKDUU03, collided with trees while taking off from Crescent Lake State Airport, Crescent Lake, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole ocupant, received fatal injuries, and the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. The 14 CFR part 91 personal pleasure flight, which was departing for a dry lake in the alvord desert, about 20 miles north of fields, Oregon, was being operated in visual meteorologicla conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to initial witness reports, the aircraft lifted off about half-way down the 3,800 foot runway, but failed to clear the trees at the departure end. Another pilot, who had departed shortly before the accident aircraft and was flying overhead, reported that it appeared the pilot attempted to maneuver around the trees just off the end of the runway, but that the aircraft's right wing impacted a tree. The aircraft's registration number (OKDUU03) is entered as okduu in the "registration number" block on this form, because that block is limited to a entry of five characters. (-23) unable to determine primary technical or operational factors. Aircraft his trees before crashing upside down and burning. According to witnesses, the take-off roll was normal. The wind was gusting between 20 and 25 miles per hour varying out of the sw. A witness on the ground noted no problems during the 10-15 minute warm-up and estimated that the aircraft lifted off just about where the pavement ended (1800 ft). Once the aircraft became airborne, it flew straight down the runway. At first it was only 5 or 6 ft above the runway. The pilot would lift the nose up and then lower it again to gain additional altitude. This was repeated down the runway. The ground witness said it appeared as if he was having trouble gaining altitude, but by the time he was close to the end of the runway (3800 ft.), he was "gaining on it." It looked as if he would clear the trees. When the aircraft reached the end of the runway it made a left turn just prior to the trees. At this point the aircraft wings rolled to almost 90 degrees, left wing down and right wing up. At that point the ground witness lost sight of the aircraft because it went on the other side of the trees. The witness in the air said the aircraft wings were rocking and that he hit some trees with the right wing, impacted the ground and caught fire. The leading edge of right hand wind showed impact damage on the outboard half of the wing. A couple of trees approximately 50-75 feet showed marks where tops were cut off. Tree branches and tops were found at the base of the trees.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1030 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CORA ALLEGRO, REGISTERED IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC AS OKDUU03, COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE TAKING OFF FROM CRESCENT LAKE STATE AIRPORT, CRESCENT LAKE, OREGON. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS DEPARTING FOR A DRY LAKE IN THE ALVORD DESERT, ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF FIELDS, OREGON, WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICLA CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED, AND THERE WAS NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTIVATION. ACCORDING TO INITIAL WITNESS REPORTS, THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF ABOUT HALF-WAY DOWN THE 3,800 FOOT RUNWAY, BUT FAILED TO CLEAR THE TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END. ANOTHER PILOT, WHO HAD DEPARTED SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND WAS FLYING OVERHEAD, REPORTED THAT IT APPEARED THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER AROUND THE TREES JUST OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, BUT THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING IMPACTED A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT'S REGISTRATION NUMBER (OKDUU03) IS ENTERED AS OKDUU IN THE "REGISTRATION NUMBER" BLOCK ON THIS FORM, BECAUSE THAT BLOCK IS LIMITED TO A ENTRY OF FIVE CHARACTERS. (-23) UNABLE TO DETERMINE PRIMARY TECHNICAL OR OPERATIONAL FACTORS. AIRCRAFT HIS TREES BEFORE CRASHING UPSIDE DOWN AND BURNING. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE TAKE-OFF ROLL WAS NORMAL. THE WIND WAS GUSTING BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MILES PER HOUR VARYING OUT OF THE SW. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND NOTED NO PROBLEMS DURING THE 10-15 MINUTE WARM-UP AND ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF JUST ABOUT WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDED (1800 FT). ONCE THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, IT FLEW STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY 5 OR 6 FT ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WOULD LIFT THE NOSE UP AND THEN LOWER IT AGAIN TO GAIN ADDITIONAL ALTITUDE. THIS WAS REPEATED DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE GROUND WITNESS SAID IT APPEARED AS IF HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE GAINING ALTITUDE, BUT BY THE TIME HE WAS CLOSE TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY (3800 FT.), HE WAS "GAINING ON IT." IT LOOKED AS IF HE WOULD CLEAR THE TREES. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT REACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY IT MADE A LEFT TURN JUST PRIOR TO THE TREES. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WINGS ROLLED TO ALMOST 90 DEGREES, LEFT WING DOWN AND RIGHT WING UP. AT THAT POINT THE GROUND WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE IT WENT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TREES. THE WITNESS IN THE AIR SAID THE AIRCRAFT WINGS WERE ROCKING AND THAT HE HIT SOME TREES WITH THE RIGHT WING, IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE LEADING EDGE OF RIGHT HAND WIND SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE WING. A COUPLE OF TREES APPROXIMATELY 50-75 FEET SHOWED MARKS WHERE TOPS WERE CUT OFF. TREE BRANCHES AND TOPS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE TREES.