What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot and passenger were on a west bound cross country flight, they landed at Branch County Memorial Airport (koeb) for fuel. The winds aloft were out of the east with surface winds out of the west. They landed on runway 25 and taxied to the fuel pumps. The pilot topped the fuel tank off with 24 gals of 100LL. The pilot decided to use the grass strip (runway 16) to take off because the aircraft handled better on grass. There was a crosswind from the east according to the wind sock at 8 to 10 KTS estimated. The run up was normal, the pilot proceeded south on runway 16, at mid field he noticed his airspeed at 78 mph (proper climbout is 78 mph with best rate of climb at 87 mph). When the aircraft lifted off he said that if felt light with loose controls, so he lowered the nose to about 20 ft in an effort to gain more airspeed. The pilot said he felt a slight bump or lift followed by a rapid drop off of the left wing and nose. He said it felt like the aileron controls broke because the aricraft was not responding. According to the pilot the left landing gear and left wing struck the ground first. Evidence at the scene also showed that the propeller struck the ground. The engine and firewall separated from the airframe.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ON A WEST BOUND CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THEY LANDED AT BRANCH COUNTY MEMORIAL AIRPORT (KOEB) FOR FUEL. THE WINDS ALOFT WERE OUT OF THE EAST WITH SURFACE WINDS OUT OF THE WEST. THEY LANDED ON RUNWAY 25 AND TAXIED TO THE FUEL PUMPS. THE PILOT TOPPED THE FUEL TANK OFF WITH 24 GALS OF 100LL. THE PILOT DECIDED TO USE THE GRASS STRIP (RUNWAY 16) TO TAKE OFF BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED BETTER ON GRASS. THERE WAS A CROSSWIND FROM THE EAST ACCORDING TO THE WIND SOCK AT 8 TO 10 KTS ESTIMATED. THE RUN UP WAS NORMAL, THE PILOT PROCEEDED SOUTH ON RUNWAY 16, AT MID FIELD HE NOTICED HIS AIRSPEED AT 78 MPH (PROPER CLIMBOUT IS 78 MPH WITH BEST RATE OF CLIMB AT 87 MPH). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF HE SAID THAT IF FELT LIGHT WITH LOOSE CONTROLS, SO HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO ABOUT 20 FT IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN MORE AIRSPEED. THE PILOT SAID HE FELT A SLIGHT BUMP OR LIFT FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DROP OFF OF THE LEFT WING AND NOSE. HE SAID IT FELT LIKE THE AILERON CONTROLS BROKE BECAUSE THE ARICRAFT WAS NOT RESPONDING. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AND LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND FIRST. EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE ALSO SHOWED THAT THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE ENGINE AND FIREWALL 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.