What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft attempted to takeoff north bound on air field. Approximately 200 yards into takeoff run, aircraft veered to the left of runway impacted tree line and exploded into a fireball. Two dead, pilot james miller and instructor pilot lee collins. The tail section and two wings were in tack, the flight controls, seats, instruments in cockpit area all burned up. The physical evidence on the ground shows that both brakes were locked for nearly 600 feet until impact of trees. Rudder cables were still attached to foot pedal assemble at imapct sight. Investigated left main landing gear wheel to see if bearings may have caused wheel to bind and veer left. No evidence of failure was noted. It appears that approximately 50 yards into the takeoff roll this aircraft had both brakes applied evenly, and aircraft continued to slide on grass. The aircraft slid and continued to slide, it even slid over a runway light about 200 feet before impact. Aircraft wreckage was inspected in depth after recovery and it was discovered that carburator throttle position arm had broke loose. We do not know if that happened before impact or after impact, or during recovery of wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF NORTH BOUND ON AIR FIELD. APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS INTO TAKEOFF RUN, AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY IMPACTED TREE LINE AND EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL. TWO DEAD, PILOT JAMES MILLER AND INSTRUCTOR PILOT LEE COLLINS. THE TAIL SECTION AND TWO WINGS WERE IN TACK, THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, SEATS, INSTRUMENTS IN COCKPIT AREA ALL BURNED UP. THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE ON THE GROUND SHOWS THAT BOTH BRAKES WERE LOCKED FOR NEARLY 600 FEET UNTIL IMPACT OF TREES. RUDDER CABLES WERE STILL ATTACHED TO FOOT PEDAL ASSEMBLE AT IMAPCT SIGHT. INVESTIGATED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL TO SEE IF BEARINGS MAY HAVE CAUSED WHEEL TO BIND AND VEER LEFT. NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE WAS NOTED. IT APPEARS THAT APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS INTO THE TAKEOFF ROLL THIS AIRCRAFT HAD BOTH BRAKES APPLIED EVENLY, AND AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLIDE ON GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT SLID AND CONTINUED TO SLIDE, IT EVEN SLID OVER A RUNWAY LIGHT ABOUT 200 FEET BEFORE IMPACT. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS INSPECTED IN DEPTH AFTER RECOVERY AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT CARBURATOR THROTTLE POSITION ARM HAD BROKE LOOSE. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THAT HAPPENED BEFORE IMPACT OR AFTER IMPACT, OR DURING RECOVERY OF WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.