What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was taxiing for take off when it lost control, ran into a ditch, and struck a tree. Other circumstances ae unknown. On February 13,1999, about 0630 central standard time, a Beech A24R, registered to an individual, collided with a ditch and a tree during taxing to takeoff at Philadelphia airport, Philadelphia, Mississippi, while on a title 14 CFR PART91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated he had trouble getting the left wing tie down rope through the wing tie down fitting the night before the accidentm, due to a know in the rope. As he added a quart of oil to the engine during the preflight inspection he remembers untying the tie down ropes. He does not remember struggling with the left tie down rope to get the knotted edn back throug the fitting. He completed the preflight inspection, got in and started the engine. As he applied engine power to begin taxing, the aircraft jerked and he was thrown toward the middle of the aircraft. He believes he pushed the engine throttle further forward as the aircraft jerked. The aircraft turned 180 degrees and he reduced the engine throttle to idle. He did not fully stop the aircraft and became distracted by the landing gear in transit light which had illuminated. The aircraft continued to move forward and went into a ditch and collided with a tree. (-23) pilot did not untie and remove the rt wing tie down rope before taxiing for takeoff, aircraft was violently turned 180 degrees when tie down rope (knot) caught in tie down bracket on rt. Wing. Pilot says throttle was advanced somehow when he was jerked about. Aircraft traveled over 2000' and impacted trees. (.4) the pilot stated he had trouble getting the knotted tie down rope through the left wing tie down fitting when he parked the aircraft the night before the accident. On the morning of the accident he did not recall struggling to get the rope free from the fitting. As he started to taxi the aircraft jerked to the left and he inadvertently advanced the throttle. The aircraft ran into a ditch and then collided with a tree.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS TAXIING FOR TAKE OFF WHEN IT LOST CONTROL, RAN INTO A DITCH, AND STRUCK A TREE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES AE UNKNOWN. ON FEBRUARY 13,1999, ABOUT 0630 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH A24R, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AND A TREE DURING TAXING TO TAKEOFF AT PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT, PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE LEFT WING TIE DOWN ROPE THROUGH THE WING TIE DOWN FITTING THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENTM, DUE TO A KNOW IN THE ROPE. AS HE ADDED A QUART OF OIL TO THE ENGINE DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION HE REMEMBERS UNTYING THE TIE DOWN ROPES. HE DOES NOT REMEMBER STRUGGLING WITH THE LEFT TIE DOWN ROPE TO GET THE KNOTTED EDN BACK THROUG THE FITTING. HE COMPLETED THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, GOT IN AND STARTED THE ENGINE. AS HE APPLIED ENGINE POWER TO BEGIN TAXING, THE AIRCRAFT JERKED AND HE WAS THROWN TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE BELIEVES HE PUSHED THE ENGINE THROTTLE FURTHER FORWARD AS THE AIRCRAFT JERKED. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 180 DEGREES AND HE REDUCED THE ENGINE THROTTLE TO IDLE. HE DID NOT FULLY STOP THE AIRCRAFT AND BECAME DISTRACTED BY THE LANDING GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT WHICH HAD ILLUMINATED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AND WENT INTO A DITCH AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE. (-23) PILOT DID NOT UNTIE AND REMOVE THE RT WING TIE DOWN ROPE BEFORE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, AIRCRAFT WAS VIOLENTLY TURNED 180 DEGREES WHEN TIE DOWN ROPE (KNOT) CAUGHT IN TIE DOWN BRACKET ON RT. WING. PILOT SAYS THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED SOMEHOW WHEN HE WAS JERKED ABOUT. AIRCRAFT TRAVELED OVER 2000' AND IMPACTED TREES. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE KNOTTED TIE DOWN ROPE THROUGH THE LEFT WING TIE DOWN FITTING WHEN HE PARKED THE AIRCRAFT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT HE DID NOT RECALL STRUGGLING TO GET THE ROPE FREE FROM THE FITTING. AS HE STARTED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT JERKED TO THE LEFT AND HE INADVERTENTLY ADVANCED THE THROTTLE. THE AIRCRAFT RAN INTO A DITCH AND THEN COLLIDED WITH A TREE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.