What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) As the pilot was taking off, the storm (vent) window on the pilots left side opened. The aircraft was about 100 feet in the air when the pilot tried to close the window. As the pilot tried to close the window, the aircraft pitched forward and down. The airspeed was at or below recommended takeoff speed. The pilot was unable to control his rate of descent and the aircraft landed hard resulting in the blowout of both main landing gear tires and substantial damage to both wings and fuselage skin at the nose gear attachment point. The pilot's chin hit the yoke causing a minor cut. The passenger in the front right seat incurred a major injury to his back. There were no injuries to the rear passengers. There were no mechanical difficulties and the aircraft weight and balance was within limits.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AS THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF, THE STORM (VENT) WINDOW ON THE PILOTS LEFT SIDE OPENED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 100 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN THE PILOT TRIED TO CLOSE THE WINDOW. AS THE PILOT TRIED TO CLOSE THE WINDOW, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD AND DOWN. THE AIRSPEED WAS AT OR BELOW RECOMMENDED TAKEOFF SPEED. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL HIS RATE OF DESCENT AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD RESULTING IN THE BLOWOUT OF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND FUSELAGE SKIN AT THE NOSE GEAR ATTACHMENT POINT. THE PILOT'S CHIN HIT THE YOKE CAUSING A MINOR CUT. THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT INCURRED A MAJOR INJURY TO HIS BACK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE REAR PASSENGERS. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE WAS WITHIN LIMITS.
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 N1888D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.