What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 10, 1999, at 1759 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N4473A, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from a private grass airstrip near Granite, Oklahoma. The aircraft was owned and operated by great plains aviation LLC, Granite, Oklahoma, under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot and the passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Local authorities and the passenger reported that the airplane hit the ground and rolled. FAA inspectors, who responded to the site, found continuity to the flight control surfaces. (-23)during a northbound takeoff from private owned grass airstrip the aircraft became uncontrollable just after lift off. It made a sharp left turn and the left wing impacted the ground causing the aircraft to cartwheel, coming to rest facing south approximately 100 feet from the end of the airstrip. There was no post accident fire. (.4)the airplane was destroyed upon impact with terrain following a loss of control during the takeoff/initial climb. Severe corrosion was found at two structural tube clusters (one with a windshield pillar) located directly below the right wing forward and aft attach fittings. The portion of the forward structure available for carrying loads prior to the accident was less than 30% of the circumference of the pillar tube. Deformation associated with the separation of the pillar tube indicates that the pillar failed under compression loads. The manufacturer's representative stated that the 'windshield pillar is normally subjected to a tensile load during flight.' It is possible that compression loads generated during the takeoff roll led to a compression failure of the pillar. This failure would have changed the lift characteristics of the wing since the separation point was directly below the right wing forward attach fitting. The most recent annual inspection was performed in January 1999; the maintenance entry for the annual stated, in part, 'treated steel tubing as required.' In June 1999, a major repair was made to a tube cluster in the aft fuselage area 'due to external rust through from past acid spill.'
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 10, 1999, AT 1759 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18-150, N4473A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR GRANITE, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY GREAT PLAINS AVIATION LLC, GRANITE, OKLAHOMA, UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND AND ROLLED. FAA INSPECTORS, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SITE, FOUND CONTINUITY TO THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. (-23)DURING A NORTHBOUND TAKEOFF FROM PRIVATE OWNED GRASS AIRSTRIP THE AIRCRAFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE JUST AFTER LIFT OFF. IT MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN AND THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL, COMING TO REST FACING SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP. THERE WAS NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB. SEVERE CORROSION WAS FOUND AT TWO STRUCTURAL TUBE CLUSTERS (ONE WITH A WINDSHIELD PILLAR) LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW THE RIGHT WING FORWARD AND AFT ATTACH FITTINGS. THE PORTION OF THE FORWARD STRUCTURE AVAILABLE FOR CARRYING LOADS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS LESS THAN 30% OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE PILLAR TUBE. DEFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEPARATION OF THE PILLAR TUBE INDICATES THAT THE PILLAR FAILED UNDER COMPRESSION LOADS. THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE 'WINDSHIELD PILLAR IS NORMALLY SUBJECTED TO A TENSILE LOAD DURING FLIGHT.' IT IS POSSIBLE THAT COMPRESSION LOADS GENERATED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL LED TO A COMPRESSION FAILURE OF THE PILLAR. THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE LIFT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WING SINCE THE SEPARATION POINT WAS DIRECTLY BELOW THE RIGHT WING FORWARD ATTACH FITTING. THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED IN JANUARY 1999; THE MAINTENANCE ENTRY FOR THE ANNUAL STATED, IN PART, 'TREATED STEEL TUBING AS REQUIRED.' IN JUNE 1999, A MAJOR REPAIR WAS MADE TO A TUBE CLUSTER IN THE AFT FUSELAGE AREA 'DUE TO EXTERNAL RUST THROUGH FROM PAST ACID SPILL.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.