What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 7, 2000 the pilot made two high speed taxi runs and was unable to get the tail of aircraft off the ground. Pilot stated the at the aircraft got light on the main gear at approximately 65 knots but was unsure if tail left the groun. The following mourning, August 8, 2000 the pilot initiated a high speed taxi run on runway 9. The aircraft became airborne for a moment pitched over and then struck the runway very hard on all three wheels. The aircraft then went into a steep climb to approximately 200 feet AGL before leveling off and dropping straight down to the runway. The aircraft struck the runway in a level attitude with very little forward momentum. Aircraft came to rest approximately 60 feet from point of impact. Pilot was pronounced dead to the scene. (.4) this was the first flight of this airplane after being built. The airplane was seen departing from runway 9, climb at a steep nose high attitude to an altitude of about 150 to 200 feet above the ground; fall flat to the ground, impacting right side up, and flat. Videotape, made by a relative of the pilot, revealed that the pilot was heard saying he was having difficul ty in getting the tail up. He told the people present, '...it's a bugger back there,' referring to the tail coming up. In addition, he said, '...I should have more elevator authority.' He said that he had the speed up to 70 knots, the stick full forward, the tail would not come up, and '...that the aircraft may need a larger horizontal stabilizer and elevator to attain sufficient elevator authority.' No work to correct this problem was accomplished prior to the attempted flight. The videotape indicated that the airplane might have been overweight or tail heavy, or perhaps both. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no apparent airframe failure. The control surfaces were heavily coated with bondo to smooth them out. A piece of bondo was chipped from the aileron that measured 3/16 of an inch thick. The listed empty weight was 1,300 pounds, and the gross weight was 2,000 pounds. The actual weight shown for certification was empty weight 1,779 pounds, and gross weight 2,400 pounds. Continuity was established through the elevator cables, but the tail section and cables were cut to extract the pilot from the wreckage. Control continuity was established to all the flight controls.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 7, 2000 THE PILOT MADE TWO HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE TAIL OF AIRCRAFT OFF THE GROUND. PILOT STATED THE AT THE AIRCRAFT GOT LIGHT ON THE MAIN GEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 65 KNOTS BUT WAS UNSURE IF TAIL LEFT THE GROUN. THE FOLLOWING MOURNING, AUGUST 8, 2000 THE PILOT INITIATED A HIGH SPEED TAXI RUN ON RUNWAY 9. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE FOR A MOMENT PITCHED OVER AND THEN STRUCK THE RUNWAY VERY HARD ON ALL THREE WHEELS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT INTO A STEEP CLIMB TO APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL BEFORE LEVELING OFF AND DROPPING STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH VERY LITTLE FORWARD MOMENTUM. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET FROM POINT OF IMPACT. PILOT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD TO THE SCENE. (.4) THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THIS AIRPLANE AFTER BEING BUILT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 9, CLIMB AT A STEEP NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND; FALL FLAT TO THE GROUND, IMPACTING RIGHT SIDE UP, AND FLAT. VIDEOTAPE, MADE BY A RELATIVE OF THE PILOT, REVEALED THAT THE PILOT WAS HEARD SAYING HE WAS HAVING DIFFICUL TY IN GETTING THE TAIL UP. HE TOLD THE PEOPLE PRESENT, '...IT'S A BUGGER BACK THERE,' REFERRING TO THE TAIL COMING UP. IN ADDITION, HE SAID, '...I SHOULD HAVE MORE ELEVATOR AUTHORITY.' HE SAID THAT HE HAD THE SPEED UP TO 70 KNOTS, THE STICK FULL FORWARD, THE TAIL WOULD NOT COME UP, AND '...THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY NEED A LARGER HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ELEVATOR AUTHORITY.' NO WORK TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO THE ATTEMPTED FLIGHT. THE VIDEOTAPE INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE MIGHT HAVE BEEN OVERWEIGHT OR TAIL HEAVY, OR PERHAPS BOTH. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO APPARENT AIRFRAME FAILURE. THE CONTROL SURFACES WERE HEAVILY COATED WITH BONDO TO SMOOTH THEM OUT. A PIECE OF BONDO WAS CHIPPED FROM THE AILERON THAT MEASURED 3/16 OF AN INCH THICK. THE LISTED EMPTY WEIGHT WAS 1,300 POUNDS, AND THE GROSS WEIGHT WAS 2,000 POUNDS. THE ACTUAL WEIGHT SHOWN FOR CERTIFICATION WAS EMPTY WEIGHT 1,779 POUNDS, AND GROSS WEIGHT 2,400 POUNDS. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE ELEVATOR CABLES, BUT THE TAIL SECTION AND CABLES WERE CUT TO EXTRACT THE PILOT FROM THE WRECKAGE. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL THE FLIGHT CONTROLS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.