What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he was taking off from an orchard landing strip on his farm near Biggs, CA. He selected three notches of flaps and applied full power. The aircraft became airborne after a very short take run. The aircraft then drifted to the left and hit the top of a fruit tree, approximately ten feet high. The aircraft continued drifting to the left and impacted about ten more trees. The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose low attitude and spun around and came to rest in the orchard. The wings were broken about the center section. The pilot departed the aircraft and the leaking fuel caught fire and burnt the cabin section of the aircraft to the floorboards. The pilot stated he had a bi-annual flight review about three weeks prior and had completed a short field take-off using the same procedure.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TAKING OFF FROM AN ORCHARD LANDING STRIP ON HIS FARM NEAR BIGGS, CA. HE SELECTED THREE NOTCHES OF FLAPS AND APPLIED FULL POWER. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AFTER A VERY SHORT TAKE RUN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DRIFTED TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE TOP OF A FRUIT TREE, APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET HIGH. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED ABOUT TEN MORE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO REST IN THE ORCHARD. THE WINGS WERE BROKEN ABOUT THE CENTER SECTION. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LEAKING FUEL CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT THE CABIN SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE FLOORBOARDS. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD A BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW ABOUT THREE WEEKS PRIOR AND HAD COMPLETED A SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF USING THE SAME PROCEDURE.
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 N93DM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.