What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot elected takeoff with a tailwind of about 15 knots and a temperature of about 95 deg. F. from a private grass airfield, 2440 feet long. Density altitude was about 4200 feet. Takeoff was upslope, heading 150 deg. The runway rises 75 feet from take-off and and the terrain continues to rise at about the same rate along the flight path. The aircraft wallowed after initial climb and first turned slightly to the right then back to the left. The left wing tip struck the top of a tree. The aircraft flew about 30 feet, struck a second tree about ten feet from the top, flew over a single story building, stalled, rolled, and struck the ground in an extreme nose down attitude with the top of the fuselage toward the airfield. The aircraft burned. The pilot flying is not known; the private pilot was in the left seat. Flap setting was found at 40 deg. Setting at takeoff is not certain. Fuel on board was 35 gallons estimated. According to the owner's handbook, at 4200 feet density altitude, the aircraft requires 25 deg. Of flaps and about 2250 feet to clear a 50-foot barrier from a paved, level, and dry runway. No factors are available for takeoff on an up-sloping, grass runway withtailwind conditions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ELECTED TAKEOFF WITH A TAILWIND OF ABOUT 15 KNOTS AND A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 95 DEG. F. FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRFIELD, 2440 FEET LONG. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 4200 FEET. TAKEOFF WAS UPSLOPE, HEADING 150 DEG. THE RUNWAY RISES 75 FEET FROM TAKE-OFF AND AND THE TERRAIN CONTINUES TO RISE AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. THE AIRCRAFT WALLOWED AFTER INITIAL CLIMB AND FIRST TURNED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT THEN BACK TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW ABOUT 30 FEET, STRUCK A SECOND TREE ABOUT TEN FEET FROM THE TOP, FLEW OVER A SINGLE STORY BUILDING, STALLED, ROLLED, AND STRUCK THE GROUND IN AN EXTREME NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE TOWARD THE AIRFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT BURNED. THE PILOT FLYING IS NOT KNOWN; THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. FLAP SETTING WAS FOUND AT 40 DEG. SETTING AT TAKEOFF IS NOT CERTAIN. FUEL ON BOARD WAS 35 GALLONS ESTIMATED. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S HANDBOOK, AT 4200 FEET DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRES 25 DEG. OF FLAPS AND ABOUT 2250 FEET TO CLEAR A 50-FOOT BARRIER FROM A PAVED, LEVEL, AND DRY RUNWAY. NO FACTORS ARE AVAILABLE FOR TAKEOFF ON AN UP-SLOPING, GRASS RUNWAY WITHTAILWIND CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.