What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft N1721T attempted a take off from the Angwin CA airport (2O3) at approximately 1930 hrs. The pilot stated that he tuned in the wrong radio frequency when attempting to turn the runway lights on. He tuned to 122.8 when he should have tuned to 123.0. He decided to attempt a take off using the aircraft exterior lights without runway or taxi way lighting. He stated that he aligned the aircraft with a row of nearby hangars thinking they paralled the runway. Physical evidence at the scene indicates the takeoff attempt was made from the aircraft parking ramp. The aircraft departed the paved surface of the parking ramp and never made it to a taxi way or runway. The aircraft accelerated through a field adjacent to the airport and went through a fence. It hit a large boulder causing considerable damage to the left wing. The aircraft continued on to an access road and hit a chain link fence and looped to the left and came to rest. The aircraft sustained substantial damage ot the wings, tail and landing gear. There were two occupants of the aircraft. There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT N1721T ATTEMPTED A TAKE OFF FROM THE ANGWIN CA AIRPORT (2O3) AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 HRS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TUNED IN THE WRONG RADIO FREQUENCY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE RUNWAY LIGHTS ON. HE TUNED TO 122.8 WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE TUNED TO 123.0. HE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A TAKE OFF USING THE AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR LIGHTS WITHOUT RUNWAY OR TAXI WAY LIGHTING. HE STATED THAT HE ALIGNED THE AIRCRAFT WITH A ROW OF NEARBY HANGARS THINKING THEY PARALLED THE RUNWAY. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE INDICATES THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT WAS MADE FROM THE AIRCRAFT PARKING RAMP. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE PAVED SURFACE OF THE PARKING RAMP AND NEVER MADE IT TO A TAXI WAY OR RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED THROUGH A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT AND WENT THROUGH A FENCE. IT HIT A LARGE BOULDER CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON TO AN ACCESS ROAD AND HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND LOOPED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OT THE WINGS, TAIL AND LANDING GEAR. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.