What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted is a student pilot and stated that he was practicing a short field takeoff on runway 21 at Flagstaff airport. The first 1,000 feet of the runway approach end was under construction and 6,000 feet was remaining for takeoff. The aircraft had 25 degrees of flaps deployed and rotated at midfield with approximately 3,000 feet runway remaining. The aircraft climbed to approximately 100 feet AGL at 65 knots and would not accelerate to the best rate of climb speed (vy) of 70 knots. The pilot privacy data omitted decreased his flaps to 10 degrees, and the aircraft descended to 20 feet AGL at the end of the runway. The pilot privacy data omitted continued the takeoff and descended straight ahead into approximately 50 feet pine trees that were about 1/2 mile from the runway. The left outboard leading edge of the wing struck a pine trees, the right wing folded backward, and the airplane cartwheeled as it hit the ground. The aircraft came to rest in a nose low attitude with the tail approximately 20 feet above the ground. In the Piper cherokee 140 owner's handbook, there is no performance data for takeoff distance with a density altitude over 7,000 feet. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 8,800 feet.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A STUDENT PILOT AND STATED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 21 AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT. THE FIRST 1,000 FEET OF THE RUNWAY APPROACH END WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 6,000 FEET WAS REMAINING FOR TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT HAD 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS DEPLOYED AND ROTATED AT MIDFIELD WITH APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL AT 65 KNOTS AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB SPEED (VY) OF 70 KNOTS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECREASED HIS FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES, AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO 20 FEET AGL AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND DESCENDED STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET PINE TREES THAT WERE ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE OF THE WING STRUCK A PINE TREES, THE RIGHT WING FOLDED BACKWARD, AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED AS IT HIT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE TAIL APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. IN THE PIPER CHEROKEE 140 OWNER'S HANDBOOK, THERE IS NO PERFORMANCE DATA FOR TAKEOFF DISTANCE WITH A DENSITY ALTITUDE OVER 7,000 FEET. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 8,800 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.