What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The model B55 baron was loaded with a total of six adult male occupants, baggage, 126 pounds of additional ballast weights in the forward baggage compartment and carried full fuel in the main tanks and 10 gallons of fuel in each aux. Tank. Several eyewitnesses reported that , on takeoff from runway 22, the aircraft rotated abruptly to a sixty to eighty degree nose up pitch attitude and climbed to an estimated altitude of 200 to 300 feet above ground when it then rolled to the left and subsequently impacted the ground nose low, left wing low on a wreckage distribution path of approximately 095 degrees. The forward and left roof supports of the cabin failed on impact and all six occupants were ejected with fatal injuries to all six persons. Several eyewitnesses reported that the crashed airplane ignited into flames approximately 60 to 90 seconds after impact. Post crash examination of the aircraft showed that the control column lock pin was still installed in the flight control column. (.4) the pilot did not perform an aircraft runup and proceeded to takeoff. Numerous witnesses observed the airplane pitch up to a 70 to 80-degree nose high attitude upon liftoff. The witnesses then observed the nose of the airplane momentarily pitch nose down slightly and immediately pitch nose high again. They then reported observing the airplane roll to the left and impact the ground in a nose low, left wing low attitude. Shortly after impacting the ground, a fire erupted. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the pilot had failed to remove the control lock pin from the control column. A safety alert, service instruction, and mandatory service bulletin were issued by the aircraft manufacturer, which dealt with control lock awareness and a control lock modification. The pilot/aircraft owner did not comply with the service instruction and mandatory service bulletin, nor did he have the original control lock assembly installed. A conservative weight and balance computation indicated that the pilot loaded the airplane beyond the airplane's certificated maximum gross weight and aft center of gravity limitations. An autopsy of the pilot revealed that he had suffered from an 'acute myocardial infarct' prior to the airplane impacting the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE MODEL B55 BARON WAS LOADED WITH A TOTAL OF SIX ADULT MALE OCCUPANTS, BAGGAGE, 126 POUNDS OF ADDITIONAL BALLAST WEIGHTS IN THE FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND CARRIED FULL FUEL IN THE MAIN TANKS AND 10 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH AUX. TANK. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES REPORTED THAT , ON TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 22, THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ABRUPTLY TO A SIXTY TO EIGHTY DEGREE NOSE UP PITCH ATTITUDE AND CLIMBED TO AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND WHEN IT THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ON A WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH OF APPROXIMATELY 095 DEGREES. THE FORWARD AND LEFT ROOF SUPPORTS OF THE CABIN FAILED ON IMPACT AND ALL SIX OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED WITH FATAL INJURIES TO ALL SIX PERSONS. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE CRASHED AIRPLANE IGNITED INTO FLAMES APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 90 SECONDS AFTER IMPACT. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE CONTROL COLUMN LOCK PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL COLUMN. (.4) THE PILOT DID NOT PERFORM AN AIRCRAFT RUNUP AND PROCEEDED TO TAKEOFF. NUMEROUS WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PITCH UP TO A 70 TO 80-DEGREE NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE UPON LIFTOFF. THE WITNESSES THEN OBSERVED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE MOMENTARILY PITCH NOSE DOWN SLIGHTLY AND IMMEDIATELY PITCH NOSE HIGH AGAIN. THEY THEN REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE ROLL TO THE LEFT AND IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. SHORTLY AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND, A FIRE ERUPTED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD FAILED TO REMOVE THE CONTROL LOCK PIN FROM THE CONTROL COLUMN. A SAFETY ALERT, SERVICE INSTRUCTION, AND MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN WERE ISSUED BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER, WHICH DEALT WITH CONTROL LOCK AWARENESS AND A CONTROL LOCK MODIFICATION. THE PILOT/AIRCRAFT OWNER DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE SERVICE INSTRUCTION AND MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN, NOR DID HE HAVE THE ORIGINAL CONTROL LOCK ASSEMBLY INSTALLED. A CONSERVATIVE WEIGHT AND BALANCE COMPUTATION INDICATED THAT THE PILOT LOADED THE AIRPLANE BEYOND THE AIRPLANE'S CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITATIONS. AN AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT REVEALED THAT HE HAD SUFFERED FROM AN 'ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCT' PRIOR TO THE AIRPLANE IMPACTING THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.