What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot/repairman made adjustments to the propeller blade angles the morning of the fatal flight. Takeoff was from a rough field approximately 6 miles south of (gcc), gillette campbell county airport. Witnesses stated that the engine sounded as it were misfiring. The inflight breakup began after approxiamtely one mile of travel over the ground. One propeller balde was found approximately 200 yards from the impact point. Other propeller blade parts were found closer to the impact point. The main rotor blades hit the vertical stabilizer and rudder breaking them off the aircraft, leaving the aircraft uncontrollable. The aicraft first impacted on the tailwheel, then rolled on to its the left side and caught on fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT/REPAIRMAN MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PROPELLER BLADE ANGLES THE MORNING OF THE FATAL FLIGHT. TAKEOFF WAS FROM A ROUGH FIELD APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTH OF (GCC), GILLETTE CAMPBELL COUNTY AIRPORT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IT WERE MISFIRING. THE INFLIGHT BREAKUP BEGAN AFTER APPROXIAMTELY ONE MILE OF TRAVEL OVER THE GROUND. ONE PROPELLER BALDE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM THE IMPACT POINT. OTHER PROPELLER BLADE PARTS WERE FOUND CLOSER TO THE IMPACT POINT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER BREAKING THEM OFF THE AIRCRAFT, LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT UNCONTROLLABLE. THE AICRAFT FIRST IMPACTED ON THE TAILWHEEL, THEN ROLLED ON TO ITS THE LEFT SIDE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.