What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 11, 2001, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a floback Lancair 4 homebuilt airplane, N720BF, registered to missionair inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, impacted with the ground and was consumed by fire shortly after takeoff from the Kissimmee Municipal Airport, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport rated-pilot was fatally injured. The flight had just departed when the accident occurred. A witness stated that he saw the airplane about 1 mile south of runway 24. He heard the engine "sputter", and watched the airplane "wobble." He then saw the airplane turn back towards the airport, the wings went 90 degrees to the ground, and the airplane disappeared from view. The airplane impacted the ground nose low. (-23) a/c was climbing from t/o, approx 2 miles so of a/p. witnesses reported seeing the a/c oscillate, go into a wings perpendicular to the grnd attitude, disappear behind trees and explode in a ND contact with the earth. Wreckage was not scattered. Condition of prop blades indicate no power on a/c . A/c destroyed by crash and fire. Pilot apparently killed at impact. A/c was approx 60% burned--rt wing destroyed by fire. No fire damage to the left wing. Ckpt area-extensive fire damage. Engine-little fire damage. Eng "spider a'ssy" dry when piping disconnected. Fuel selector vlv removed and found frozen in "lft" select posit. Also dry. Fuel selector torn-down by manufacturer. Found normal except for seals melted by fire. Eng torn down by manufacturer. Normal except for intake manifold blocked approx 30% by fiberglass fibers. (.4) a witness stated he saw the accident and described the takeoff as "normal." He saw the airplane turn cross wind, continue to climb and turn down wind. He stated the airplane then "...appeared to slow rapidly at around 300 to 400 feet...made a couple of abrupt moves from side to side then turned away from the airport...nosed over and impacted the ground." The post crash fire destroyed about 60 percent of the airplane. An engine teardown revealed no discrepancies.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 11, 2001, ABOUT 1630 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOBACK LANCAIR 4 HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N720BF, REGISTERED TO MISSIONAIR INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE KISSIMMEE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED-PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD JUST DEPARTED WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF RUNWAY 24. HE HEARD THE ENGINE "SPUTTER", AND WATCHED THE AIRPLANE "WOBBLE." HE THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, THE WINGS WENT 90 DEGREES TO THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE LOW. (-23) A/C WAS CLIMBING FROM T/O, APPROX 2 MILES SO OF A/P. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE A/C OSCILLATE, GO INTO A WINGS PERPENDICULAR TO THE GRND ATTITUDE, DISAPPEAR BEHIND TREES AND EXPLODE IN A ND CONTACT WITH THE EARTH. WRECKAGE WAS NOT SCATTERED. CONDITION OF PROP BLADES INDICATE NO POWER ON A/C . A/C DESTROYED BY CRASH AND FIRE. PILOT APPARENTLY KILLED AT IMPACT. A/C WAS APPROX 60% BURNED--RT WING DESTROYED BY FIRE. NO FIRE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. CKPT AREA-EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE. ENGINE-LITTLE FIRE DAMAGE. ENG "SPIDER A'SSY" DRY WHEN PIPING DISCONNECTED. FUEL SELECTOR VLV REMOVED AND FOUND FROZEN IN "LFT" SELECT POSIT. ALSO DRY. FUEL SELECTOR TORN-DOWN BY MANUFACTURER. FOUND NORMAL EXCEPT FOR SEALS MELTED BY FIRE. ENG TORN DOWN BY MANUFACTURER. NORMAL EXCEPT FOR INTAKE MANIFOLD BLOCKED APPROX 30% BY FIBERGLASS FIBERS. (.4) A WITNESS STATED HE SAW THE ACCIDENT AND DESCRIBED THE TAKEOFF AS "NORMAL." HE SAW THE AIRPLANE TURN CROSS WIND, CONTINUE TO CLIMB AND TURN DOWN WIND. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE THEN "...APPEARED TO SLOW RAPIDLY AT AROUND 300 TO 400 FEET...MADE A COUPLE OF ABRUPT MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE THEN TURNED AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT...NOSED OVER AND IMPACTED THE GROUND." THE POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF THE AIRPLANE. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.