What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was taking off when it veered right, struck rwy lights and trees, stalled, and cartwheeled, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on August 5,1999, at 1415 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N4337X, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an impact with trees and terrain shortly after a takeoff from runway 23 (3,820 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at the grand Geneva airport, lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot-in-command and two passengers suffered serious injuries. One passenger suffered minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of dane county regional airport, madison, Wisconsin. According to a passenger, located in the aft-right seat, the pilot-in-command (PIC) was attempting a simulated zero-visibility takeoff and departure at the time of the accident. The PIC was wearing visibility reducing goggles which limited the pilot's vision to the cockpit instruments. The PIC had a delegated safety pilot in the forward-ri ght seat. The passenger reported that during the takeoff roll the airplane veered to the left side of the runway and departed the runway surface. The passenger reported that the safety pilot announced that he was taking control of the airplane and the PIC raised his hands in acknowledgment. The safety pilot elected to continue the takeoff roll, off the runway surface, and the aircraft became airborne. The passenger reported that the airplane, "...slowly started to ascend and wasn't climbing as good as it should have...," and that the airplane struck the top of a tree line that was on the left side of the runway. A weather observation station, located 18 nautical miles east of the accident site, reported few clouds at 6,000 feet above ground level (AGL), visibility of 10 statute miles, barometric pressure of 30.01 inches of mercury, and the winds variable at 4 knots. (-23)see CHI99FA276
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS TAKING OFF WHEN IT VEERED RIGHT, STRUCK RWY LIGHTS AND TREES, STALLED, AND CARTWHEELED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON AUGUST 5,1999, AT 1415 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N4337X, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 23 (3,820 FEET BY 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHALT) AT THE GRAND GENEVA AIRPORT, LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND TWO PASSENGERS SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. ONE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, MADISON, WISCONSIN. ACCORDING TO A PASSENGER, LOCATED IN THE AFT-RIGHT SEAT, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) WAS ATTEMPTING A SIMULATED ZERO-VISIBILITY TAKEOFF AND DEPARTURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PIC WAS WEARING VISIBILITY REDUCING GOGGLES WHICH LIMITED THE PILOT'S VISION TO THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS. THE PIC HAD A DELEGATED SAFETY PILOT IN THE FORWARD-RI GHT SEAT. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE SAFETY PILOT ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TAKING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE PIC RAISED HIS HANDS IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THE SAFETY PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF ROLL, OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE, AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE, "...SLOWLY STARTED TO ASCEND AND WASN'T CLIMBING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD HAVE...," AND THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE LINE THAT WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. A WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION, LOCATED 18 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED FEW CLOUDS AT 6,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), VISIBILITY OF 10 STATUTE MILES, BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY, AND THE WINDS VARIABLE AT 4 KNOTS. (-23)SEE CHI99FA276
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.