What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) According to several witnesses and examination of the accident scene disclosed the aircraft had collided with trees on a slope of rising terrain located approximately 1/2 mile from the zack airport. After takeoff, the aircraft failed to climb normally. It may have even descended into lower terrain. Because the aircraft was at its maximum gross weight and equipped with a "cruise" wooden prop, it was not capable of climbing and clearing the rising terrain given the current weather conditions of heat and stagnant wind. When the aircraft collided with the trees at the crest of the terrain, it immediately impacted the ground in an extremely nose-low attitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ACCORDING TO SEVERAL WITNESSES AND EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE DISCLOSED THE AIRCRAFT HAD COLLIDED WITH TREES ON A SLOPE OF RISING TERRAIN LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE ZACK AIRPORT. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO CLIMB NORMALLY. IT MAY HAVE EVEN DESCENDED INTO LOWER TERRAIN. BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND EQUIPPED WITH A "CRUISE" WOODEN PROP, IT WAS NOT CAPABLE OF CLIMBING AND CLEARING THE RISING TERRAIN GIVEN THE CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS OF HEAT AND STAGNANT WIND. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREES AT THE CREST OF THE TERRAIN, IT IMMEDIATELY IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN EXTREMELY NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.