What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N203H was taking off from a 1/2 mile long Private grass strip. The pilot had been operating from a longer asphalt strip and was unfamiliar with the rarely used unimproved grass strip that was heavily overgrown. As the aircraft approached the end of the strip it did not have flying speed but speed was sufficient to prevent stopping before reaching a slightly elevated roadway which was oriented perpendicular to the departure end of the runway. The pilot applied control input causing the aircraft to become airborne just long enough to clear the roadway after which it settled into the field across the road. The aircraft came to rest upright with damage to the left wing spar and the engine was partially separated from the airframe.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N203H WAS TAKING OFF FROM A 1/2 MILE LONG PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE PILOT HAD BEEN OPERATING FROM A LONGER ASPHALT STRIP AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RARELY USED UNIMPROVED GRASS STRIP THAT WAS HEAVILY OVERGROWN. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE END OF THE STRIP IT DID NOT HAVE FLYING SPEED BUT SPEED WAS SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT STOPPING BEFORE REACHING A SLIGHTLY ELEVATED ROADWAY WHICH WAS ORIENTED PERPENDICULAR TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT APPLIED CONTROL INPUT CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BECOME AIRBORNE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE ROADWAY AFTER WHICH IT SETTLED INTO THE FIELD ACROSS THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT WITH DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR AND THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.