What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on rotation, when it drifted left off the rwy, the left wing tip contacted the ground resulting in damage to the left wing, propeller, and nose gear. (.19)on June 26, 1999, at 1515 central daylight time, a mahler BD-4, N184BD, piloted by a private pilot recived substantial damage on impact with terrain during an attempted take off on runway 16 (3,220 feet x 80 feet turf/gravel) at Vinland Valley Aerodrome Airport, Baldwin City, Kansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was not on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries. A witness said the while he was traveling on a county road by the airport, he saw a white plane traveling south on the runway. He said that he saw the airplane pick up speed but slower than he had expected. He stated that he saw the airplane until crops blocked his vision. He said that he saw that the airplane's right wing rose above the level of the crops and lowered below it. Then he said that the left wing rose above the crop tops and lowered below then. He stated the left wing rose again but highter than its first time. The left wing lowered below the level of the tops again. He did not see the airplane again and stated that he thought the plane was in an accident. He drove down an airport access road to investigate. He saw that the aircraft had come to rest in tall grass. (-23) on takeoff at Vinland valley airport, N184BD piloted by rodney e. sebby, in an attempt to become airborne, drifted to the left off the runway, struck tall grass and terrain, then skidded to a stop. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger. Aircraft suffered significant damage to left wing structure and to firewall. (.4) the pilot said he was taking off on runway 16 and was using the left side of the runway. He stated the airplane drifted further to the left side of the runway, exited the left side of the runway, and entered tall grass. He said the grass was three foot high. He said the left wing tip contacted the ground and the nose gear buckled. He stated the airplane skidded to a stop approximately 100 feet to the left of the runway. At 1454, the lawrence municipal airport weather observation was: wind 160 degrees at 8 knots.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON ROTATION, WHEN IT DRIFTED LEFT OFF THE RWY, THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, PROPELLER, AND NOSE GEAR. (.19)ON JUNE 26, 1999, AT 1515 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MAHLER BD-4, N184BD, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT RECIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 16 (3,220 FEET X 80 FEET TURF/GRAVEL) AT VINLAND VALLEY AERODROME AIRPORT, BALDWIN CITY, KANSAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. A WITNESS SAID THE WHILE HE WAS TRAVELING ON A COUNTY ROAD BY THE AIRPORT, HE SAW A WHITE PLANE TRAVELING SOUTH ON THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE PICK UP SPEED BUT SLOWER THAN HE HAD EXPECTED. HE STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE UNTIL CROPS BLOCKED HIS VISION. HE SAID THAT HE SAW THAT THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING ROSE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE CROPS AND LOWERED BELOW IT. THEN HE SAID THAT THE LEFT WING ROSE ABOVE THE CROP TOPS AND LOWERED BELOW THEN. HE STATED THE LEFT WING ROSE AGAIN BUT HIGHTER THAN ITS FIRST TIME. THE LEFT WING LOWERED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE TOPS AGAIN. HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE AGAIN AND STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. HE DROVE DOWN AN AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD TO INVESTIGATE. HE SAW THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME TO REST IN TALL GRASS. (-23) ON TAKEOFF AT VINLAND VALLEY AIRPORT, N184BD PILOTED BY RODNEY E. SEBBY, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BECOME AIRBORNE, DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK TALL GRASS AND TERRAIN, THEN SKIDDED TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO LEFT WING STRUCTURE AND TO FIREWALL. (.4) THE PILOT SAID HE WAS TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 16 AND WAS USING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED FURTHER TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, EXITED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND ENTERED TALL GRASS. HE SAID THE GRASS WAS THREE FOOT HIGH. HE SAID THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE NOSE GEAR BUCKLED. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. AT 1454, THE LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WEATHER OBSERVATION WAS: WIND 160 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.