What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On June 4, 2001, at 0855 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N5413S, collided with a tree while turning crosswind after takeoff at Big Bear city, California. The airplane was destroyed and the student pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Aero haven, inc., was operating the airplane as an instructional flight under 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight was originating from the Big Bear airport at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed for the planned local flight. A flight instructor was standing near midfield as the airplane departed. The winds were from 080 degrees at 8 knots. Before the airplane departed, another airplane took off on runway 08, flying directly over the accident airplane. The UNICOM was reported to be in operation; however, no one reported hearing the accident airplane request departure information or make a position report. The airplane took off on runway 26, initiating the departure from the approach end. At midfield the pilot rotated and the airplane began what was described as a normal climb out. After gaining about 250 AGL, the attitude of the airplane leveled and began to sink, losing about 50 to 75 feet of altitude. The pilot then began a 45-degree banked turn to the left. After about 90 degrees of turn, the airplane began approaching some 200-foot-tall pine trees that were growing along the left side of the departure path. As the airplane neared the trees, the bank angle steepened and the nose of the airplane suddenly dropped as the right wing contacted several branches near the top of one of the trees. The right wing separated from the airplane and both it and the airplane impacted the ground within a few feet of the base of the tree. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the right magneto would not produce a spark when rotated by hand. The airplane had reportedly had a magneto problem repaired on June 1, 2000. (-23) aircraft departed Big Bear airport at approximately 0855 on 4 June, 2001 on a south west departure, briefly climbed and subsequently lost directional control of aircraft. Aircraft impacted into a pine tree approximately 75 feet from highway 18 and approximately one half mile from end of runway.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON JUNE 4, 2001, AT 0855 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N5413S, COLLIDED WITH A TREE WHILE TURNING CROSSWIND AFTER TAKEOFF AT BIG BEAR CITY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AERO HAVEN, INC., WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE BIG BEAR AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PLANNED LOCAL FLIGHT. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS STANDING NEAR MIDFIELD AS THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED. THE WINDS WERE FROM 080 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. BEFORE THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED, ANOTHER AIRPLANE TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 08, FLYING DIRECTLY OVER THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE UNICOM WAS REPORTED TO BE IN OPERATION; HOWEVER, NO ONE REPORTED HEARING THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REQUEST DEPARTURE INFORMATION OR MAKE A POSITION REPORT. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 26, INITIATING THE DEPARTURE FROM THE APPROACH END. AT MIDFIELD THE PILOT ROTATED AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A NORMAL CLIMB OUT. AFTER GAINING ABOUT 250 AGL, THE ATTITUDE OF THE AIRPLANE LEVELED AND BEGAN TO SINK, LOSING ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET OF ALTITUDE. THE PILOT THEN BEGAN A 45-DEGREE BANKED TURN TO THE LEFT. AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGREES OF TURN, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN APPROACHING SOME 200-FOOT-TALL PINE TREES THAT WERE GROWING ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE PATH. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE TREES, THE BANK ANGLE STEEPENED AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY DROPPED AS THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED SEVERAL BRANCHES NEAR THE TOP OF ONE OF THE TREES. THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND BOTH IT AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE BASE OF THE TREE. A POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT MAGNETO WOULD NOT PRODUCE A SPARK WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. THE AIRPLANE HAD REPORTEDLY HAD A MAGNETO PROBLEM REPAIRED ON JUNE 1, 2000. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BIG BEAR AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 0855 ON 4 JUNE, 2001 ON A SOUTH WEST DEPARTURE, BRIEFLY CLIMBED AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED INTO A PINE TREE APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET FROM HIGHWAY 18 AND APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE FROM END OF RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5413S · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.