20010506013679A

(.19)On may 6, 2001, at 0908 eastern standard time, a madsen Lancair 320, N316M, built and piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with the terrain and subsequent on-ground fire, following a loss of aircraft control during initial climb from runway 09 (7,000 feet by 150 feet, dry/asphalt) at the porter county municipal airport, Valparaiso, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local test flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was departing at the time of the accident. According to a written witness statement, the airplane started the takeoff roll at the beginning of runway 09 and appeared to be accelerating slower than normal. The witness reported, "the takeoff roll looked normal (no left or right variation) but the aircraft seem to roll out longer than normal for this type of aircraft ( [unintelligible] normal takeoff roll would be 2500 ft) this aircraft seemed to roll about 3500 feet before rotation. After rotation the aircraft pitched up and down several cycles then settled down. But after the pitch cycles stopped the plane was not climbing. The landing gear was not cycled up it remained down. The plane was about 200 feet altitude when the up, down pitching began again. I noted the plane climbed about another 50 ft. then the plane rolled to the left and entered a vertical position and impacted the ground about 1000' north of the runway centerline. Aircraft exploded on impact." (-23) pilot departed r/w 09 at vpz. Witness stated that a/c was slow in developing t.o. speed. Witness stated that a/c rotated and bounced back on rw. A/c finally climbed in ground effect and continued climb to approximately 100' altitude. A/c then rolled into bank to left, appeared to stall, then impacted ground and burned. Fatal injury to pilot.