What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mr. Robert h. koplar operated N65873 on 09/07/2009 departing from Sullivan MO. (Uuv) on runway 6 after he preflighted the aircraft. In a written statement and interview with Mr. Koplar, he aborted his first takeoff attempt due to birds on the runway. He noted that as he lifted off the runway the aircraft felt very heavy. He thought about putting it back down but thought he would run out of runway. The aircraft started gaining altitude but had heavy back pressure on the yoke. He said his first thought was trim. He said it indicated 6 degrees which would be normal for takeoff. He trimmed further back to no effect. He turned 30 degrees and was attempting to go around and land on runway 6. He said the airspeed was not climbing even after pushing the nose over to a level attitude at about 85 knots with full power. He did not think the plane would stay airborne long enough to complete down wind for runway 6. At this point he continued the turn 180 degrees to attempt runway 24. He took power out and the nose came down further so he added power to pitch up. He could not make runway 24 so he tried to land on the adjacent taxiway. The gear was down and flaps were up. The aircrafts right wingtip struck the taxiway pavement. The aircraft departed the taxiway into the grass between the taxiway and runway. The plane skidded approximately 50-60 yards and came to a stop with the nose, engine and propeller impacted into the grass and dirt. The right wing, nose area forward of the firewall, engine and propeller sustained heavy damage from impact. The nose gear assembly collapsed, the right main gear assembly did not collapse, although the right tire was flat. The left gear assembly strut fractured and turned sideways and the tire still held air pressure.
As the FAA filed it
MR. ROBERT H. KOPLAR OPERATED N65873 ON 09/07/2009 DEPARTING FROM SULLIVAN MO. (UUV) ON RUNWAY 6 AFTER HE PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT AND INTERVIEW WITH MR. KOPLAR, HE ABORTED HIS FIRST TAKEOFF ATTEMPT DUE TO BIRDS ON THE RUNWAY. HE NOTED THAT AS HE LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT FELT VERY HEAVY. HE THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING IT BACK DOWN BUT THOUGHT HE WOULD RUN OUT OF RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED GAINING ALTITUDE BUT HAD HEAVY BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE. HE SAID HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS TRIM. HE SAID IT INDICATED 6 DEGREES WHICH WOULD BE NORMAL FOR TAKEOFF. HE TRIMMED FURTHER BACK TO NO EFFECT. HE TURNED 30 DEGREES AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO GO AROUND AND LAND ON RUNWAY 6. HE SAID THE AIRSPEED WAS NOT CLIMBING EVEN AFTER PUSHING THE NOSE OVER TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE AT ABOUT 85 KNOTS WITH FULL POWER. HE DID NOT THINK THE PLANE WOULD STAY AIRBORNE LONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 6. AT THIS POINT HE CONTINUED THE TURN 180 DEGREES TO ATTEMPT RUNWAY 24. HE TOOK POWER OUT AND THE NOSE CAME DOWN FURTHER SO HE ADDED POWER TO PITCH UP. HE COULD NOT MAKE RUNWAY 24 SO HE TRIED TO LAND ON THE ADJACENT TAXIWAY. THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND FLAPS WERE UP. THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE TAXIWAY PAVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE TAXIWAY INTO THE GRASS BETWEEN THE TAXIWAY AND RUNWAY. THE PLANE SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 50-60 YARDS AND CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSE, ENGINE AND PROPELLER IMPACTED INTO THE GRASS AND DIRT. THE RIGHT WING, NOSE AREA FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL, ENGINE AND PROPELLER SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE FROM IMPACT. THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY DID NOT COLLAPSE, ALTHOUGH THE RIGHT TIRE WAS FLAT. THE LEFT GEAR ASSEMBLY STRUT FRACTURED AND TURNED SIDEWAYS AND THE TIRE STILL HELD AIR PRESSURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.