What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft took off from rwy 26, crashed 1/2 mile beyond the end of the rwy, burned, and was destroyed by fire, all 3 POB suffered fatal injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (.19)on June 7, 1999 at 1630 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151, N246MA, piloted by an instructor rated pilot and student, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain following departure from runway 26 (4,000 feet x 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at Drummond Island Airport, Drummond Island, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot, student and passenger were fatally injured. The personal/instructional flight was originating at the time of the accident. A witness, who was walking to her home, reported that she saw a small airplane just above the trees in a shallow left bank and gradually descending. She stated that she does not remember any unusual engine noise or seeing any smoke. She also reported that is was quite windy and gusty. A second witness stated that the aircraft was approximately 200 yards down the runway and had not lifted off. He also stated that the winds were well over 20 knots and gusting; he added that they were "quite gusty." The main wreckage was located approximately 1,254 feet heading 268 degrees from the departure end of runway 26. The trees surrounding the main wreckage were black and absent of leaves. There were trees approxiamtely 20 feet to the north of the main wreckage which had leaves that were brown in color. The fuselage was destroyed by fire, within which 24 golf clubs were recovered. A law enforcement officer stated that the wooded area consisted of birch, maple and spruce trees which were approximately 60 feet in height. The engine was rotated and a thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The oil filter and sump screens were free of metallic debris. Continuity of the accessory gears, intake and exhaust valves was established. Aileron, rudder and elevator flight control continutiy was established. (-23)approx. 3000 feet after take off, runway 26, aircraft struck trees. Fire destroyed 80% of aircraft. Aircraft made initial right turn out and then was obserced in shallow left descending turn until impact with trees. Left turn was in direction of only open landing area available within approx 1 mile.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT TOOK OFF FROM RWY 26, CRASHED 1/2 MILE BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY, BURNED, AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, ALL 3 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19)ON JUNE 7, 1999 AT 1630 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-151, N246MA, PILOTED BY AN INSTRUCTOR RATED PILOT AND STUDENT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN FOLLOWING DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 26 (4,000 FEET X 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHALT) AT DRUMMOND ISLAND AIRPORT, DRUMMOND ISLAND, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, STUDENT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL/INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A WITNESS, WHO WAS WALKING TO HER HOME, REPORTED THAT SHE SAW A SMALL AIRPLANE JUST ABOVE THE TREES IN A SHALLOW LEFT BANK AND GRADUALLY DESCENDING. SHE STATED THAT SHE DOES NOT REMEMBER ANY UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISE OR SEEING ANY SMOKE. SHE ALSO REPORTED THAT IS WAS QUITE WINDY AND GUSTY. A SECOND WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS DOWN THE RUNWAY AND HAD NOT LIFTED OFF. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDS WERE WELL OVER 20 KNOTS AND GUSTING; HE ADDED THAT THEY WERE "QUITE GUSTY." THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1,254 FEET HEADING 268 DEGREES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 26. THE TREES SURROUNDING THE MAIN WRECKAGE WERE BLACK AND ABSENT OF LEAVES. THERE WERE TREES APPROXIAMTELY 20 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE WHICH HAD LEAVES THAT WERE BROWN IN COLOR. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, WITHIN WHICH 24 GOLF CLUBS WERE RECOVERED. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STATED THAT THE WOODED AREA CONSISTED OF BIRCH, MAPLE AND SPRUCE TREES WHICH WERE APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET IN HEIGHT. THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED AND A THUMB COMPRESSION WAS OBTAINED ON ALL CYLINDERS. THE OIL FILTER AND SUMP SCREENS WERE FREE OF METALLIC DEBRIS. CONTINUITY OF THE ACCESSORY GEARS, INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES WAS ESTABLISHED. AILERON, RUDDER AND ELEVATOR FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUTIY WAS ESTABLISHED. (-23)APPROX. 3000 FEET AFTER TAKE OFF, RUNWAY 26, AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES. FIRE DESTROYED 80% OF AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT MADE INITIAL RIGHT TURN OUT AND THEN WAS OBSERCED IN SHALLOW LEFT DESCENDING TURN UNTIL IMPACT WITH TREES. LEFT TURN WAS IN DIRECTION OF ONLY OPEN LANDING AREA AVAILABLE WITHIN APPROX 1 MILE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.