What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During departure from a private airstrip at Lucedale, MS. While climbing through approx. 150 feet AGL., the a/c banked to the right descended and struck trees. Witnesses reported having seen something come off the a/c just prior to the bank. A gap seal was found on the airport in that general vicinity. The gap seal is a fabric panel that fits between the upper surfaces of the right and left wing root fabric. It is held in place by velcro. This panel was pulled into the propellor. While being pulled into the propellor, it caught on the carburetors pulling them loose. The panel also caught on the wing flaps and pulled that material into the propellor. (.4) on October 22, 2000, about 0915 central daylight time, a camillo annaloro CA special Quicksilver, N302CA, registered to an individual, crashed into trees shortly after takeoff from south Mississippi light aircraft airport, Lucedale, Mississippi, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of th e accident. The pilot stated that he departed to the southeast and made a right turn. During the climb and turn, he heard a "loud pop sound" and the aircraft began vibrating. He reduced engine power to idle, level the wings, and lowered the nose to establish a glide. He was on top of trees at this point and flared the aircraft on top of the trees. He stated the gap seal cover separated during climb. A witness stated aircraft sounded normal on runup and departure and the climbout turn was normal. After the aircraft turned about 130 degrees, he heard a loud pop and saw what looked to be white paper or cloth coming from the engine and propeller area. Examination of the aircraft after the accident was performed by an FAA inspector. The fabric panel between the wing roots, which is held in place by velcro fasteners, had separated from the aircraft and was found on the ground, cut into three pieces. When the fabric panel separated, it went through propeller and also caused damage to the wing flap material. Wing flap material separated and was found wrapped around the propeller flange.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING DEPARTURE FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AT LUCEDALE, MS. WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH APPROX. 150 FEET AGL., THE A/C BANKED TO THE RIGHT DESCENDED AND STRUCK TREES. WITNESSES REPORTED HAVING SEEN SOMETHING COME OFF THE A/C JUST PRIOR TO THE BANK. A GAP SEAL WAS FOUND ON THE AIRPORT IN THAT GENERAL VICINITY. THE GAP SEAL IS A FABRIC PANEL THAT FITS BETWEEN THE UPPER SURFACES OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT WING ROOT FABRIC. IT IS HELD IN PLACE BY VELCRO. THIS PANEL WAS PULLED INTO THE PROPELLOR. WHILE BEING PULLED INTO THE PROPELLOR, IT CAUGHT ON THE CARBURETORS PULLING THEM LOOSE. THE PANEL ALSO CAUGHT ON THE WING FLAPS AND PULLED THAT MATERIAL INTO THE PROPELLOR. (.4) ON OCTOBER 22, 2000, ABOUT 0915 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CAMILLO ANNALORO CA SPECIAL QUICKSILVER, N302CA, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED INTO TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM SOUTH MISSISSIPPI LIGHT AIRCRAFT AIRPORT, LUCEDALE, MISSISSIPPI, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF TH E ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED TO THE SOUTHEAST AND MADE A RIGHT TURN. DURING THE CLIMB AND TURN, HE HEARD A "LOUD POP SOUND" AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN VIBRATING. HE REDUCED ENGINE POWER TO IDLE, LEVEL THE WINGS, AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO ESTABLISH A GLIDE. HE WAS ON TOP OF TREES AT THIS POINT AND FLARED THE AIRCRAFT ON TOP OF THE TREES. HE STATED THE GAP SEAL COVER SEPARATED DURING CLIMB. A WITNESS STATED AIRCRAFT SOUNDED NORMAL ON RUNUP AND DEPARTURE AND THE CLIMBOUT TURN WAS NORMAL. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ABOUT 130 DEGREES, HE HEARD A LOUD POP AND SAW WHAT LOOKED TO BE WHITE PAPER OR CLOTH COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS PERFORMED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR. THE FABRIC PANEL BETWEEN THE WING ROOTS, WHICH IS HELD IN PLACE BY VELCRO FASTENERS, HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND, CUT INTO THREE PIECES. WHEN THE FABRIC PANEL SEPARATED, IT WENT THROUGH PROPELLER AND ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WING FLAP MATERIAL. WING FLAP MATERIAL SEPARATED AND WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND THE PROPELLER FLANGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.