What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on take-off and was destroyed, the pilot/sole occupant suffered fatal injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) a/c crashed on take-off. A/c destroyed and one fatality. (.4)on July 4, 1999, at 1246 hours Hawaii standard time, a Beech 58, N971GA, operated by General aviation services, inc., of lake zurich,Illinois, was destroyed following a collision wiht the runway during takeoff and initial climb at the Hilo international airport, Hilo, Hawaii. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was on a ferry flight from nagoya, japan, to rockport, Illinois. This flight leg was destined for oakland, CA. About 2,023 miles northeast. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure point for the flight operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and an IFR flight plan was filed. The a/c was issued a ferry permit by the FAA for the operaiton. The pilot departed japan may 24, 1999, and arrived at saipan. He departed saipan may 25, enroute to phonpei; and departed phonpei may 26, enroute to majuro. He departed majuro may 29, and diverted to johnston atoll. The airplane remained on johnston atoll for about 18 days during which time the original special flight permit dated June 6, 1999, expired. The pilot received a reissuance, with an exoiration date of July 9, 1999. While at johnston atoll, the airplane was refueled with 50 gallons of automobile gas into the right auxillary fuel tank. Also added was 50 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel obtained from honolulu by barge. The pilot departed johnston atoll June 18 for honolulu. At honolulu the pilot had 25 gallons of automotive gas removed from the right auxiliary fuel tank. The pilot departed honolulu for Hilo on July 3, 1999. According to the Hilo FAA air traffic control tower transcript, on July 4, 1999, at 1247, the pilot was cleared for takeoff from runway 08 at Hilo international airport. He departed from the 9,800 foot runway threshold and rotated at 3,000 feet. Subsequent measurements made during the investigaiton determined that the first scars associated with the airplane (at the impact location observed by witnesses) was 6,300 feet from the start of the takeoff roll. After 50 to 100 feet AGL, the pilot announced on the local control frequency "coming, coming, come in for landing, I can't make it sir." According to tower personnel, the landing gear was observed to retract then extend. The pilot filed an instrument flight plan for 13 hours 10 minutes, with 14 hours 6 minutes of fuel onboard.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON TAKE-OFF AND WAS DESTROYED, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) A/C CRASHED ON TAKE-OFF. A/C DESTROYED AND ONE FATALITY. (.4)ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 1246 HOURS HAWAII STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 58, N971GA, OPERATED BY GENERAL AVIATION SERVICES, INC., OF LAKE ZURICH,ILLINOIS, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A COLLISION WIHT THE RUNWAY DURING TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB AT THE HILO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HILO, HAWAII. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A FERRY FLIGHT FROM NAGOYA, JAPAN, TO ROCKPORT, ILLINOIS. THIS FLIGHT LEG WAS DESTINED FOR OAKLAND, CA. ABOUT 2,023 MILES NORTHEAST. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE DEPARTURE POINT FOR THE FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE A/C WAS ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT BY THE FAA FOR THE OPERAITON. THE PILOT DEPARTED JAPAN MAY 24, 1999, AND ARRIVED AT SAIPAN. HE DEPARTED SAIPAN MAY 25, ENROUTE TO PHONPEI; AND DEPARTED PHONPEI MAY 26, ENROUTE TO MAJURO. HE DEPARTED MAJURO MAY 29, AND DIVERTED TO JOHNSTON ATOLL. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED ON JOHNSTON ATOLL FOR ABOUT 18 DAYS DURING WHICH TIME THE ORIGINAL SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT DATED JUNE 6, 1999, EXPIRED. THE PILOT RECEIVED A REISSUANCE, WITH AN EXOIRATION DATE OF JULY 9, 1999. WHILE AT JOHNSTON ATOLL, THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED WITH 50 GALLONS OF AUTOMOBILE GAS INTO THE RIGHT AUXILLARY FUEL TANK. ALSO ADDED WAS 50 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL OBTAINED FROM HONOLULU BY BARGE. THE PILOT DEPARTED JOHNSTON ATOLL JUNE 18 FOR HONOLULU. AT HONOLULU THE PILOT HAD 25 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GAS REMOVED FROM THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. THE PILOT DEPARTED HONOLULU FOR HILO ON JULY 3, 1999. ACCORDING TO THE HILO FAA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER TRANSCRIPT, ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 1247, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 08 AT HILO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. HE DEPARTED FROM THE 9,800 FOOT RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND ROTATED AT 3,000 FEET. SUBSEQUENT MEASUREMENTS MADE DURING THE INVESTIGAITON DETERMINED THAT THE FIRST SCARS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRPLANE (AT THE IMPACT LOCATION OBSERVED BY WITNESSES) WAS 6,300 FEET FROM THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER 50 TO 100 FEET AGL, THE PILOT ANNOUNCED ON THE LOCAL CONTROL FREQUENCY "COMING, COMING, COME IN FOR LANDING, I CAN'T MAKE IT SIR." ACCORDING TO TOWER PERSONNEL, THE LANDING GEAR WAS OBSERVED TO RETRACT THEN EXTEND. THE PILOT FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FOR 13 HOURS 10 MINUTES, WITH 14 HOURS 6 MINUTES OF FUEL ONBOARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.