What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed shortly after take-off under unknown circumstances, the pilot and 3 pax sustained fatal injuries, another pax has serious injuries, the acft was destroyed, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)after landing, the airplane's main fuel tanks were filled, and the five people got back onboard. The tail was almost touching the ground, and the airplane was sitting nose high. After takeoff, the airplane appeared to have a hard time climbing out, and was 'hanging on the prop.' The airplane turned toward a left downwind. It was initially nose high, then started to slowly lose altitude. Altitude loss quickened, the airplane's nose fell through, and the airplane maintained a sliding, left turn until it impacted the ground about 1/2 mile southwest of the airport. The engine was heard 'roaring' prior to impact, chordwise scratches were found on the propeller blades, and rotational marks were found on the starter housing. The estimated weight of the airplane was approximately 10 pounds under maximum gross weight, while center of gravity computations, using several different baggage loading scenarios, ranged from 1.1 inches, to 0.3 inches, forward of the aft center of gravity limit. Temperture at the time of the accident was 81 degrees fahrenheit, and the density was about 2,600 feet MSL.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PILOT AND 3 PAX SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, ANOTHER PAX HAS SERIOUS INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED, AND THE FIVE PEOPLE GOT BACK ONBOARD. THE TAIL WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SITTING NOSE HIGH. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE A HARD TIME CLIMBING OUT, AND WAS 'HANGING ON THE PROP.' THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARD A LEFT DOWNWIND. IT WAS INITIALLY NOSE HIGH, THEN STARTED TO SLOWLY LOSE ALTITUDE. ALTITUDE LOSS QUICKENED, THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE FELL THROUGH, AND THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED A SLIDING, LEFT TURN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE WAS HEARD 'ROARING' PRIOR TO IMPACT, CHORDWISE SCRATCHES WERE FOUND ON THE PROPELLER BLADES, AND ROTATIONAL MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE STARTER HOUSING. THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 POUNDS UNDER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT, WHILE CENTER OF GRAVITY COMPUTATIONS, USING SEVERAL DIFFERENT BAGGAGE LOADING SCENARIOS, RANGED FROM 1.1 INCHES, TO 0.3 INCHES, FORWARD OF THE AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT. TEMPERTURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 81 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND THE DENSITY WAS ABOUT 2,600 FEET MSL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.