What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft on departure on rwy 25 gained 300FT and descended and crashed 1/2 miles off the end of rwy, the two persons on board suffered fatal injuries. Other circumstances are unknown. (-23) aircraft departed runway 25 at 47N and was observed by a witness to climb to approx. 200 feet, at which time the aircraft pitched up and descended into trees. Aircraft landed inverted and was substantially damaged. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. (.4) the pilot could not figure out how to get the starter to engage, so he radioed for assistance. The pilot was then told to rotate the ignition switch all the way to the right, and then push in. The starter engaged. The pilot then taxied to the runway, preformed a run-up check, and departed. After becoming airborne, the airplane assumed a 10 to 15 degree climb attitude, and turned left 20 degrees for noise abatement. According to a witness, after completing the turn and reaching approximately 200 feet AGL, the airplane stalled. The nose of the airplane pitched up and down, but never went below the horizon. The airplane's right wing then impacted a tree, rolled inverted, and impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. No pre-impact failures or malfunctions were discovered during the examination of the wreckage. The pilot had logged a total of 117 hours of flight experience and was signed off in the 180 horsepower Piper PA-28-180 approximately 2 months before the accident. No documentation was discovered that indicated the pilot had any flight experience in the 140 horsepower PA-28-140.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ON DEPARTURE ON RWY 25 GAINED 300FT AND DESCENDED AND CRASHED 1/2 MILES OFF THE END OF RWY, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 25 AT 47N AND WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS TO CLIMB TO APPROX. 200 FEET, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND DESCENDED INTO TREES. AIRCRAFT LANDED INVERTED AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. (.4) THE PILOT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE STARTER TO ENGAGE, SO HE RADIOED FOR ASSISTANCE. THE PILOT WAS THEN TOLD TO ROTATE THE IGNITION SWITCH ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN PUSH IN. THE STARTER ENGAGED. THE PILOT THEN TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY, PREFORMED A RUN-UP CHECK, AND DEPARTED. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE ASSUMED A 10 TO 15 DEGREE CLIMB ATTITUDE, AND TURNED LEFT 20 DEGREES FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN AND REACHING APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE STALLED. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP AND DOWN, BUT NEVER WENT BELOW THE HORIZON. THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING THEN IMPACTED A TREE, ROLLED INVERTED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. NO PRE-IMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE. THE PILOT HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 117 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND WAS SIGNED OFF IN THE 180 HORSEPOWER PIPER PA-28-180 APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO DOCUMENTATION WAS DISCOVERED THAT INDICATED THE PILOT HAD ANY FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE 140 HORSEPOWER PA-28-140.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.