20000402006499A

(-23) Pilot attempted a night takeoff on a sod runway with a slot. The pilot rotated the aircraft and lost visual on the slot. Aircraft control was not maintained and aircraft drifted left into trees. The pilot pulled back sharpely and stalled aircraft according to pilot witness and aircraft rolled back 180 degrees into a nose down attitude and impacted the ground. The pilot was fatal and passenger minor injuries. (.4) on April 2, 2000, about 2038 central daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N1997Q, registered to a private individual, collided with trees then the ground during takeoff from a private airstrip near Chipley, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot was fatally injured. A passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accidentaccording to the pilot's father-in-law who is the owner of the aistrip and is a pilot and airplane mechanic, the airplane was scheduled to land at his airstrip around 1700 hours but did not land until 1830 hours. After landing, his son-in-law immediatley started flight planning for a flight to the peachtree city ariport anf called a flight service station. The pilot's father-in-law stated that the pilot was "so adamant about flying out that night." He advised the pilot that lighting at the departure end of the sough runway and also a light on a fencepost half-way down the runway would orient him as he would be flying into darkness. The pilot "agreed to this but insisted that he could see the horizon." A flashlight was placed on the fencepost that bordered the west side of the runway about midpoint of the runway and a car was positioned at the departure end of the runway 19, facing towards the approach end of the runway with "dim lights". He reported waiting 30 minutes or better for the pilot to perform a preflight run-up and get ready to depart. The father-in-law reported that while waiting for the flight to depart, he advised his daughter who was with him that the pilot was taking too long and "I didn't like this." Shortly after saying this he heard the engine rev and the pilot began the takeoff roll. After rotation the airplane banked 10-15 degrees to the left and, "he was halfway from the centerline of the runway to the edge of the trees with a gradual increased bank (max 15-20 degrees). Then the airplane went into a steep pitch and further increased bank." The airplane collided with a tree approx. 30 feet above ground level (AGL), contined to climb up the tree then "turned from an almost vertical nose up to a vertical nose down attitude to the right and hit the ground." The father-in-law also reported that the enigne sounded as if it were producing full power during the takeoff and when he arrived at the wreckage, the fuel selector valve was positioned to the "both" position. The father-in-law reported that at the time of the accident, the visibility was 2-3 miles and it was dark.