What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot arrived at the airport approx. 6 hours prior to the accident, where he spent most of the time running the engine up, checking the performance. The engine sounded to witnesses like it was running rough. Fuel was drained until no water appeared in the drains, and the injectors were removed and cleaned. The pilot then took off and made two full stop and taxiback landings. On the third take off, as the airplane broke ground , the power came back and it appeared as though the pilot was going to land on the runway remaining, he then added power and commenced a climb. The airplane was noticed in a steep bank, appearing as though he was going to return to the airport. The airplane then disappeared behind the trees, a loud noise was heard and a dust cloud was seen.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT APPROX. 6 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WHERE HE SPENT MOST OF THE TIME RUNNING THE ENGINE UP, CHECKING THE PERFORMANCE. THE ENGINE SOUNDED TO WITNESSES LIKE IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH. FUEL WAS DRAINED UNTIL NO WATER APPEARED IN THE DRAINS, AND THE INJECTORS WERE REMOVED AND CLEANED. THE PILOT THEN TOOK OFF AND MADE TWO FULL STOP AND TAXIBACK LANDINGS. ON THE THIRD TAKE OFF, AS THE AIRPLANE BROKE GROUND , THE POWER CAME BACK AND IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THE PILOT WAS GOING TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY REMAINING, HE THEN ADDED POWER AND COMMENCED A CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOTICED IN A STEEP BANK, APPEARING AS THOUGH HE WAS GOING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE TREES, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND A DUST CLOUD WAS SEEN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.