What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 16, 2006 at approximately 8:20 pm CDT, a Piper PA-22, N945A, struck treetops (estimated 80 ft in height) during climb-out after taking off from a privately owned 1,900 ft turf airstrip located 2 miles southeast of the city of Tecumseh, OK. As a result, the aircraft received substantial damage. There was no post crash fire. The appropriately rated private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The pilot stated that he completed an engine run-up to include leaning the mixture for best power before take-off. He then took off from the south end of the runway. At approximately 980 ft from the end of the takeoff runway, with an airspeed of 60 mph, he applied "one notch" of flaps. Subsequently, the aircraft became airborne. The pilot stated that as he approached the trees at the end of the runway, the aircraft began to settle. He then attempted to lower the nose attitude of the aircraft to gain additional airspeed; however, at that point the landing gear began to contact the treetops slowing his progress further. The pilot went on to state that he then increased the nose pitch attitude and subsequently stalled the aircraft tail low into the trees. When questioned about engine performance, the pilot stated the engine performance appeared normal. Post accident inspection of the aircraft's engine revealed excessive carbon build-up on each spark plug. An unknown fabric material was wrapped around each exhaust duct (flange-to-flange fittings) and the cabin heat ducting was wrapped in an insulation blanket of unknown material. There were no abnormalities noted with engine valve or ignition continuity (leads and magnetos), fuel system operation and contamination, and air induction to include filtration. Flight control continuity was established for all flight control surfaces. The flaps were in a lowered position consistent with the position of the flap control lever located in the cockpit. Elevator trim position was noted in the full "nose-up" position. Weather conditions near the time of the accident at shawnee, OK, located 10 miles north of the accident site were as follows: winds calm; visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 28 degrees c, dewpoint 8 degrees c, altimeter 29.70. Density altitude was 3,100 feet.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 16, 2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:20 PM CDT, A PIPER PA-22, N945A, STRUCK TREETOPS (ESTIMATED 80 FT IN HEIGHT) DURING CLIMB-OUT AFTER TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATELY OWNED 1,900 FT TURF AIRSTRIP LOCATED 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY OF TECUMSEH, OK. AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE APPROPRIATELY RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COMPLETED AN ENGINE RUN-UP TO INCLUDE LEANING THE MIXTURE FOR BEST POWER BEFORE TAKE-OFF. HE THEN TOOK OFF FROM THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY. AT APPROXIMATELY 980 FT FROM THE END OF THE TAKEOFF RUNWAY, WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 60 MPH, HE APPLIED "ONE NOTCH" OF FLAPS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE NOSE ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO GAIN ADDITIONAL AIRSPEED; HOWEVER, AT THAT POINT THE LANDING GEAR BEGAN TO CONTACT THE TREETOPS SLOWING HIS PROGRESS FURTHER. THE PILOT WENT ON TO STATE THAT HE THEN INCREASED THE NOSE PITCH ATTITUDE AND SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT TAIL LOW INTO THE TREES. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT ENGINE PERFORMANCE, THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE APPEARED NORMAL. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE REVEALED EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP ON EACH SPARK PLUG. AN UNKNOWN FABRIC MATERIAL WAS WRAPPED AROUND EACH EXHAUST DUCT (FLANGE-TO-FLANGE FITTINGS) AND THE CABIN HEAT DUCTING WAS WRAPPED IN AN INSULATION BLANKET OF UNKNOWN MATERIAL. THERE WERE NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED WITH ENGINE VALVE OR IGNITION CONTINUITY (LEADS AND MAGNETOS), FUEL SYSTEM OPERATION AND CONTAMINATION, AND AIR INDUCTION TO INCLUDE FILTRATION. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THE FLAPS WERE IN A LOWERED POSITION CONSISTENT WITH THE POSITION OF THE FLAP CONTROL LEVER LOCATED IN THE COCKPIT. ELEVATOR TRIM POSITION WAS NOTED IN THE FULL "NOSE-UP" POSITION. WEATHER CONDITIONS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AT SHAWNEE, OK, LOCATED 10 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE AS FOLLOWS: WINDS CALM; VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKY CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 28 DEGREES C, DEWPOINT 8 DEGREES C, ALTIMETER 29.70. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 3,100 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.