What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Mr. Bramich stated that he arrived at the airport at 12:30 pm on the afternoon of 5-27-2004. He completed a preflight on aircraft N5139W, his experimental airplane. This check included flight controls, fuel level and caps, and visual check of elevator linkage. At 1:00 pm he then flew the aircraft and returned to the airport with no discrepancies noticed. A second flight was made after 2:00 pm with passenger privacy data omitted on board. The aircraft departed from runway 14 at Fitchburg (fit) and climbed to approximately 250 feet above the ground when Mr. Bramich noticed that he was only climbing at 100 feet per minute at 45 mph. He should have been climbing between 800-900 feet per minute at the full throttle setting. Mr. Bramich stated that he lowered the nose using the elevator to increase the airspeed to 64MPH. When he then tried to raise the nose to continue the climb the control stick had no feel to it. He was not able to raise the nose to continue the climb. He turned the airplane to the left using his rudder to avoid a building. Mr. Bramich continued to work the elevators with no results. At 50-75 feet ailerons were used to turn from roadway traffic and the a/c crashed into a chain link fence. The aircraft came to rest alongside the unpaved shoulder of crawford st/airport road at a heading of 150 degrees. The aircraft was destroyed by the crash and fire that consumed most of the combustible materials on the aircraft. The pilot and passenger were helped out of the wreckage by people at the scene and were life flighted to u-mass hospital at worcester ma.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MR. BRAMICH STATED THAT HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 12:30 PM ON THE AFTERNOON OF 5-27-2004. HE COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT ON AIRCRAFT N5139W, HIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE. THIS CHECK INCLUDED FLIGHT CONTROLS, FUEL LEVEL AND CAPS, AND VISUAL CHECK OF ELEVATOR LINKAGE. AT 1:00 PM HE THEN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTICED. A SECOND FLIGHT WAS MADE AFTER 2:00 PM WITH PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA O^ ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 14 AT FITCHBURG (FIT) AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN MR. BRAMICH NOTICED THAT HE WAS ONLY CLIMBING AT 100 FEET PER MINUTE AT 45 MPH. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLIMBING BETWEEN 800-900 FEET PER MINUTE AT THE FULL THROTTLE SETTING. MR. BRAMICH STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE USING THE ELEVATOR TO INCREASE THE AIRSPEED TO 64MPH. WHEN HE THEN TRIED TO RAISE THE NOSE TO CONTINUE THE CLIMB THE CONTROL STICK HAD NO FEEL TO IT. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE TO CONTINUE THE CLIMB. HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT USING HIS RUDDER TO AVOID A BUILDING. MR. BRAMICH CONTINUED TO WORK THE ELEVATORS WITH NO RESULTS. AT 50-75 FEET AILERONS WERE USED TO TURN FROM ROADWAY TRAFFIC AND THE A/C CRASHED INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ALONGSIDE THE UNPAVED SHOULDER OF CRAWFORD ST/AIRPORT ROAD AT A HEADING OF 150 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE CRASH AND FIRE THAT CONSUMED MOST OF THE COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE HELPED OUT OF THE WRECKAGE BY PEOPLE AT THE SCENE AND WERE LIFE FLIGHTED TO U-MASS HOSPITAL AT WORCESTER MA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.