What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) According to the pilot and witnesses, the following are the events that occurred resulting in this accident. The aircraft's engine stopped at the end of the runway prior to takeoff due to the fuel selector being in the "off" position. After repositioning the fuel selector to "both", the pilot stated he set the parking brake and chocked the main landing gear of the aircraft before hand propping the engine. The engine started and the aircraft began its takeoff roll without the pilot. The pilot tried to re-enter the aircraft only to be over-powered by the aircraft and was hit by the aircraft's empennage. The aircraft became airborne and reached approximately 300 feet when it began a right turn, which eventually aggravated into a stall condition and crashing into a corn field.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AND WITNESSES, THE FOLLOWING ARE THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED RESULTING IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE STOPPED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO TAKEOFF DUE TO THE FUEL SELECTOR BEING IN THE "OFF" POSITION. AFTER REPOSITIONING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO "BOTH", THE PILOT STATED HE SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND CHOCKED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE HAND PROPPING THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLL WITHOUT THE PILOT. THE PILOT TRIED TO RE-ENTER THE AIRCRAFT ONLY TO BE OVER-POWERED BY THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS HIT BY THE AIRCRAFT'S EMPENNAGE. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND REACHED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET WHEN IT BEGAN A RIGHT TURN, WHICH EVENTUALLY AGGRAVATED INTO A STALL CONDITION AND CRASHING INTO A CORN FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.