What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he had performed: preflight inspection; fuel & oil check; but did not check takeoff distance chart nor did a weight and balance calculation using actual weights of passengers and baggage. He was concerned about the wind and taxied to opposite end of field to check wind sock and then taxied back to rwy 27 for takeoff. He held brakes, added power to 35 inches of manifold pressure, released brakes and rotated at 70 KIAS. He used 10 degrees of flaps and at half way down the runway he rotated. He climbed in to ground effect and then could not accelerate nor maintain altitude. Plane then hit trees, power lines and landed about 1/4 mile west south west of airport just short of a busy intersection. (.19) on September 7, 2001, at 1153 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, N81557, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain during climb from runway 27 (2,800 feet by 40 feet, asphalt) at the brookridge air park airport (LL22), downers grove, Illinois. The airplane impacted terrain in a residential neighborhood following an in-flight collision with trees and a power line. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries, one passenger was uninjured, and there were no ground injuries. The flight originated from LL22 en route to mackinac island, Michigan.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED: PREFLIGHT INSPECTION; FUEL & OIL CHECK; BUT DID NOT CHECK TAKEOFF DISTANCE CHART NOR DID A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION USING ACTUAL WEIGHTS OF PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE. HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WIND AND TAXIED TO OPPOSITE END OF FIELD TO CHECK WIND SOCK AND THEN TAXIED BACK TO RWY 27 FOR TAKEOFF. HE HELD BRAKES, ADDED POWER TO 35 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE, RELEASED BRAKES AND ROTATED AT 70 KIAS. HE USED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND AT HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY HE ROTATED. HE CLIMBED IN TO GROUND EFFECT AND THEN COULD NOT ACCELERATE NOR MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. PLANE THEN HIT TREES, POWER LINES AND LANDED ABOUT 1/4 MILE WEST SOUTH WEST OF AIRPORT JUST SHORT OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2001, AT 1153 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32R-301T, N81557, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 27 (2,800 FEET BY 40 FEET, ASPHALT) AT THE BROOKRIDGE AIR PARK AIRPORT (LL22), DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND A POWER LINE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, ONE PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED, AND THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LL22 EN ROUTE TO MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.