What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 4, 2002, approximately 1430 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, single-engine airplane, N431ME, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during takeoff/initial climb near Marietta, Oklahoma. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The private pilot and his two passengers received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and was destined for broken arrow, Oklahoma. According to an FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, the airplane took off in a northerly direction with a left quartering tailwind at 8 knots. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft began to drift to the left, and at approximately 30 feet AGL struck a tree, spun around, and impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. The airplane came to rest approximately 30 yards north and 30 yards west of the runway. The inspector reported the airplane was destroyed. At 1355, the ardmore municipal airport, located 16 nautical miles north of the accident site, reported wind 120 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 20 statute miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, temperature 34 degrees centigrade, dew point 21 degrees centigrade, with an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury. (-23) interviews with surviving occupants, including the pilot flying are contradictory. Occupant in front right seat, who is also a pilot, stated that the aircraft appeared to become airborne and during the climb, noticed stall warning horn activate. The right seat occupant further stated that the flying pilot pulled the control wheel further back when the warning horn operated continuously and the right wing subsequently dipped or lowered. The same occupant also stated that the airplane subsequently drifted left of the grass runway, striking something solid enough to spin airplane around to the left just prior to the accident. The pilot-in-command indicated to investigators that the autopilot activated, rolling the aircraft to the right, and he subsequently rolled the airplane too FAR to the left.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 4, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1430 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172, SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N431ME, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB NEAR MARIETTA, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS DESTINED FOR BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION WITH A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND AT 8 KNOTS. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT, AND AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET AGL STRUCK A TREE, SPUN AROUND, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS NORTH AND 30 YARDS WEST OF THE RUNWAY. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. AT 1355, THE ARDMORE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LOCATED 16 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED WIND 120 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 20 STATUTE MILES, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 4,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 34 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, DEW POINT 21 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.10 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) INTERVIEWS WITH SURVIVING OCCUPANTS, INCLUDING THE PILOT FLYING ARE CONTRADICTORY. OCCUPANT IN FRONT RIGHT SEAT, WHO IS ALSO A PILOT, STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BECOME AIRBORNE AND DURING THE CLIMB, NOTICED STALL WARNING HORN ACTIVATE. THE RIGHT SEAT OCCUPANT FURTHER STATED THAT THE FLYING PILOT PULLED THE CONTROL WHEEL FURTHER BACK WHEN THE WARNING HORN OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY AND THE RIGHT WING SUBSEQUENTLY DIPPED OR LOWERED. THE SAME OCCUPANT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY DRIFTED LEFT OF THE GRASS RUNWAY, STRIKING SOMETHING SOLID ENOUGH TO SPIN AIRPLANE AROUND TO THE LEFT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND INDICATED TO INVESTIGATORS THAT THE AUTOPILOT ACTIVATED, ROLLING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT, AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED THE AIRPLANE TOO FAR TO THE LEFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.