What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed while on take-of from an ag strip, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)the aircraft departed toward the north from the cartillar airstrip with a partial load of prowl herbicide. privacy data omitted Observed the aircraft climbing at an increasly steep angle to about 400 feet AGL. At that point, the aircraft stopped climbing, although the engine was running, and it nosed down and turned to the left. The aircraft was observed to descend to the ground with almost no lateral movement. The aircraft impacted several hundred yards northeast of the north end of the airstrip, making initial contact with its left wing and nose. The aircraft was demolished. The pilot was seriously injured. (It was reported that the pilot chose not to wear a helmet or the shoulder harnesses for this flight, although both were available for use). At the accident site, it was observed that the propeller was in near full feather, with baldes bent and broken from striking the ground under power. The propeller control lever in the cockpit was observed to be in the feather position.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED WHILE ON TAKE-OF FROM AN AG STRIP, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TOWARD THE NORTH FROM THE CARTILLAR AIRSTRIP WITH A PARTIAL LOAD OF PROWL HERBICIDE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBING AT AN INCREASLY STEEP ANGLE TO ABOUT 400 FEET AGL. AT THAT POINT, THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED CLIMBING, ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, AND IT NOSED DOWN AND TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO DESCEND TO THE GROUND WITH ALMOST NO LATERAL MOVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS NORTHEAST OF THE NORTH END OF THE AIRSTRIP, MAKING INITIAL CONTACT WITH ITS LEFT WING AND NOSE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. (IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT CHOSE NOT TO WEAR A HELMET OR THE SHOULDER HARNESSES FOR THIS FLIGHT, ALTHOUGH BOTH WERE AVAILABLE FOR USE). AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS IN NEAR FULL FEATHER, WITH BALDES BENT AND BROKEN FROM STRIKING THE GROUND UNDER POWER. THE PROPELLER CONTROL LEVER IN THE COCKPIT WAS OBSERVED TO BE IN THE FEATHER POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.