What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Thunder aviation's N5388R had just lifted off on a touch & go from Washington memorial airport, Washington, MO when the landing gear was prematurely retracted by one of the pilots. During retraction a tire struck the runway pitching the nose down causing the prop to strike the runway approximately 2000 feet down the 3200 foot length. The prop strike left 3 deep grooves of 1/2 - 3/4 inches and 16 smaller grooves in the asphalt. NTSB calculations of the speed at impact established the ground speed at 62 knots for the first contact. Rather than land gear up on the runway the pilots elected to continue the takeoff. They reached an altitude of approximately 100 feet, 3/10 of a mile from the runway when the aircraft stalled and entered a spin to the left. It impacted the soft corn field almost vertically digging a linear impact crater approximately five feet wide, 18" deep, and 24" across. It bounced back into the air, landing on its back with the tail pointing back at the runway. The commercial pilot student was pronounced dead at the scene with a broken neck. The CFI in the right seat suffered serious injuries to hands, legs and head.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THUNDER AVIATION'S N5388R HAD JUST LIFTED OFF ON A TOUCH & GO FROM WASHINGTON MEMORIAL AIRPORT, WASHINGTON, MO WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS PREMATURELY RETRACTED BY ONE OF THE PILOTS. DURING RETRACTION A TIRE STRUCK THE RUNWAY PITCHING THE NOSE DOWN CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET DOWN THE 3200 FOOT LENGTH. THE PROP STRIKE LEFT 3 DEEP GROOVES OF 1/2 - 3/4 INCHES AND 16 SMALLER GROOVES IN THE ASPHALT. NTSB CALCULATIONS OF THE SPEED AT IMPACT ESTABLISHED THE GROUND SPEED AT 62 KNOTS FOR THE FIRST CONTACT. RATHER THAN LAND GEAR UP ON THE RUNWAY THE PILOTS ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. THEY REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET, 3/10 OF A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. IT IMPACTED THE SOFT CORN FIELD ALMOST VERTICALLY DIGGING A LINEAR IMPACT CRATER APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET WIDE, 18" DEEP, AND 24" ACROSS. IT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR, LANDING ON ITS BACK WITH THE TAIL POINTING BACK AT THE RUNWAY. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT STUDENT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE WITH A BROKEN NECK. THE CFI IN THE RIGHT SEAT SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES TO HANDS, LEGS AND HEAD.
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 N5388R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.