What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot called landing, MI, fss for weather. Weather was VFR with winds 220 at 16K gusting to 21K. Runway 18 in use. Attempted take off. Became airborne and was drifting to the right of the runway (determined by evidence-winds may have changed prior to take off). Turned left (or had a gust of wind raise the right wing) and the left wing tip hit the ground. Runway is sod. Left wing tip removed a grass divot about 4 square feet in size and the aircraft spun to the left about 180 degrees and came to rest to right of the runway. The pilot was not injured. Aircraft suffered substantial damage. Propeller was splintered. Tail cone broken just forward of vertical stabilizer, left wing damaged, and gear damaged and partially removed. Runway was damp and aircraft is under powered. Lift off point was 1/2 down runway and crash was 2/3 down runway. (.19) on December 5, 2001, at 1500 eastern standard time, a miller Lancair 235, N417EM, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it departed controlled flight and impacted terrain on takeoff from runway 18 (2,679 feet by 100 feet dry/turf) at the Merillat Airport (34G), Tecumseh , Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. In his statement to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot said that after takeoff, the airplane drifted to the right. The pilot said there were homes and hangers on the right side of the runway, so he attempted a left turn to compensate for the drift to the right. The pilot said that while in the left turn, the left wing tip contacted the turf runway. A FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The tail was separated from the fuselage forward of the vertical stabilizer. The left wing was split open, the nose gear was broken aft and the propeller was splintered.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT CALLED LANDING, MI, FSS FOR WEATHER. WEATHER WAS VFR WITH WINDS 220 AT 16K GUSTING TO 21K. RUNWAY 18 IN USE. ATTEMPTED TAKE OFF. BECAME AIRBORNE AND WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY (DETERMINED BY EVIDENCE-WINDS MAY HAVE CHANGED PRIOR TO TAKE OFF). TURNED LEFT (OR HAD A GUST OF WIND RAISE THE RIGHT WING) AND THE LEFT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND. RUNWAY IS SOD. LEFT WING TIP REMOVED A GRASS DIVOT ABOUT 4 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE LEFT ABOUT 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST TO RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PROPELLER WAS SPLINTERED. TAIL CONE BROKEN JUST FORWARD OF VERTICAL STABILIZER, LEFT WING DAMAGED, AND GEAR DAMAGED AND PARTIALLY REMOVED. RUNWAY WAS DAMP AND AIRCRAFT IS UNDER POWERED. LIFT OFF POINT WAS 1/2 DOWN RUNWAY AND CRASH WAS 2/3 DOWN RUNWAY. (.19) ON DECEMBER 5, 2001, AT 1500 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MILLER LANCAIR 235, N417EM, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED TERRAIN ON TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 18 (2,679 FEET BY 100 FEET DRY/TURF) AT THE MERILLAT AIRPORT (34G), TECUMSEH , MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. IN HIS STATEMENT TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THERE WERE HOMES AND HANGERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, SO HE ATTEMPTED A LEFT TURN TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN, THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE TURF RUNWAY. A FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE TAIL WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE LEFT WING WAS SPLIT OPEN, THE NOSE GEAR WAS BROKEN AFT AND THE PROPELLER WAS SPLINTERED.
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 N417EM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.