What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 20, 2002, about 1300 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 601, N700US, collided with terrain after departure from Agua Dulce, California. The airplane was operated by the owner/pilot under 14 CFR part 91. The private rated pilot, student rated passenger, and rear seated passenger were all fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The originating flight was destined for an unknown location. According to witnesses, the airplane had landed, possibly to pickup a passenger, parked, and remained on the ground for a period of time. Subsequently, the airplane was seen to taxi out for departure on runway 04. According to a federal aviation administration airport master record form 5010, dated June 20, 1995, runway 04 is 4,600 feet long and has a 1.8 percent upward gradient. The pilot held in position, powered up the engines, and started his departure. The airplane was observed using most of the runway, rotate, and assume a higher than normal attitude. Witnesses watched the airplane turn left following the route of a canyon and rising terrain, and dissappear from view followed by smoke and fire. In the area of the crash, two witnesses reported the airplane was low, nose high, and wallowing just before it descended into a drainage area .69 miles from the runway. (-23) the owner/operated, 14 CFR part 91, aircraft departed from Agua Dulce, CA on runway 04, at approximately 1300 hours PDT under visual meteorological condtions (VMC). The aircraft was observed, by witnesses, using a majority of the runway to locate and assume a slightly higher then normal attitude. The aircraft banked left, following the route of the canyon and rising terrain, then disappear from site followed by smoke and fire. Witnesses at the crash site reported the aircraft was flying low with a nose high attitude and wallowing before banking right, descending into a wash area, 7 tenths of a mile from the end of the runway. The aircraft contacted the ground, nose and right wing first, and subsequently caught fire, destroying the aircraft. The private rated pilot, student rated copilot and female passenger were all fatally injured. The aircraft landing gear was up and stowed. The flaps were full up. Throttles and prop controls appeared to be full forward .
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 20, 2002, ABOUT 1300 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER AEROSTAR 601, N700US, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER DEPARTURE FROM AGUA DULCE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT, STUDENT RATED PASSENGER, AND REAR SEATED PASSENGER WERE ALL FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT WAS DESTINED FOR AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE HAD LANDED, POSSIBLY TO PICKUP A PASSENGER, PARKED, AND REMAINED ON THE GROUND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN TO TAXI OUT FOR DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 04. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AIRPORT MASTER RECORD FORM 5010, DATED JUNE 20, 1995, RUNWAY 04 IS 4,600 FEET LONG AND HAS A 1.8 PERCENT UPWARD GRADIENT. THE PILOT HELD IN POSITION, POWERED UP THE ENGINES, AND STARTED HIS DEPARTURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED USING MOST OF THE RUNWAY, ROTATE, AND ASSUME A HIGHER THAN NORMAL ATTITUDE. WITNESSES WATCHED THE AIRPLANE TURN LEFT FOLLOWING THE ROUTE OF A CANYON AND RISING TERRAIN, AND DISSAPPEAR FROM VIEW FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AND FIRE. IN THE AREA OF THE CRASH, TWO WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW, NOSE HIGH, AND WALLOWING JUST BEFORE IT DESCENDED INTO A DRAINAGE AREA .69 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY. (-23) THE OWNER/OPERATED, 14 CFR PART 91, AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM AGUA DULCE, CA ON RUNWAY 04, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS PDT UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS (VMC). THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED, BY WITNESSES, USING A MAJORITY OF THE RUNWAY TO LOCATE AND ASSUME A SLIGHTLY HIGHER THEN NORMAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT BANKED LEFT, FOLLOWING THE ROUTE OF THE CANYON AND RISING TERRAIN, THEN DISAPPEAR FROM SITE FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AND FIRE. WITNESSES AT THE CRASH SITE REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING LOW WITH A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND WALLOWING BEFORE BANKING RIGHT, DESCENDING INTO A WASH AREA, 7 TENTHS OF A MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND, NOSE AND RIGHT WING FIRST, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT FIRE, DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT, STUDENT RATED COPILOT AND FEMALE PASSENGER WERE ALL FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR WAS UP AND STOWED. THE FLAPS WERE FULL UP. THROTTLES AND PROP CONTROLS APPEARED TO BE FULL FORWARD .
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.