What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Events prior to the accident involved the failure of the flap motor. The flap motor had been replaced, and flap positions re-calibrated as per the Cessna maintenance manual. The day prior to the accident, the pilot did make a test flight at hio and did not note any anomaly. The aircraft was then lightly loaded (pilot and one passenger, less than 100 pounds of baggage and cargo) and was topped off with fuel. Then they departed for the back country airstrip. The pilot noted that the aircraft seemed to come off the ground much quicker than it had in his previous 250 hours in this airplane, but the plane seemed to handle fine. They landed at the airstrip an hour and a half later, where they spent the night. The following day, the weather was cool with a high overcast. Winds were calm and there was no frost on any aircraft surface. It was 50 degrees f. the runway surface was dry, but because of the light abrasive material on the surface seems soft, the pilot elected to do a soft field takeoff. The runway was 3600 by 70 feet and 4832 feet of elevation. The pilot stated that he applied his brakes slightly while bringing the engine up to full power, once at full power the pilot re-adjusted his feet on the rudder pedals. The airplanes nose came up much earlier that the pilot expected, and at a higher angle at first, the pilot aggressively pushed forward on the yoke to lower the nose but now the aircraft was veering left. The main gear was still on the ground. At this time and from the start of the takeoff run the pilot believed he had full right rudder in, but now the plane was quickly approaching the left edge of the runway and a ten to twelve foot drop off. As the plane left the runway at about a 30 degree angle from runway alignment, the pilot applied aft yoke and the plane was airborne and flying. Because of the right rudder still applied the plane pivoted to parallel the left edge of the runway. Unfortunately there were a few six to eight foot tall junipers along the left side of the runway and the right wingtip caught one of those and flying speed was lost and the airplane came to rest nosed straight in to the side of the incline. Fuel tanks were not ruptured, but because of the extreme angles there was some fuel loss out of the ventspilot counseled on test flying and functional checks required.
As the FAA filed it
EVENTS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT INVOLVED THE FAILURE OF THE FLAP MOTOR. THE FLAP MOTOR HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND FLAP POSITIONS RE-CALIBRATED AS PER THE CESSNA MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT DID MAKE A TEST FLIGHT AT HIO AND DID NOT NOTE ANY ANOMALY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LIGHTLY LOADED (PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER, LESS THAN 100 POUNDS OF BAGGAGE AND CARGO) AND WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. THEN THEY DEPARTED FOR THE BACK COUNTRY AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO COME OFF THE GROUND MUCH QUICKER THAN IT HAD IN HIS PREVIOUS 250 HOURS IN THIS AIRPLANE, BUT THE PLANE SEEMED TO HANDLE FINE. THEY LANDED AT THE AIRSTRIP AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, WHERE THEY SPENT THE NIGHT.THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE WEATHER WAS COOL WITH A HIGH OVERCAST. WINDS WERE CALM AND THERE WAS NO FROST ON ANY AIRCRAFT SURFACE. IT WAS 50 DEGREES F. THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS DRY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT ABRASIVE MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE SEEMS SOFT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DO A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. THE RUNWAY WAS 3600 BY 70 FEET AND 4832 FEET OF ELEVATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE APPLIED HIS BRAKES SLIGHTLY WHILE BRINGING THE ENGINE UP TO FULL POWER, ONCE AT FULL POWER THE PILOT RE-ADJUSTED HIS FEET ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE AIRPLANES NOSE CAME UP MUCH EARLIER THAT THE PILOT EXPECTED, AND AT A HIGHER ANGLE AT FIRST, THE PILOT AGGRESSIVELY PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE TO LOWER THE NOSE BUT NOW THE AIRCRAFT WAS VEERING LEFT. THE MAIN GEAR WAS STILL ON THE GROUND. AT THIS TIME AND FROM THE START OF THE TAKEOFF RUN THE PILOT BELIEVED HE HAD FULL RIGHT RUDDER IN, BUT NOW THE PLANE WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND A TEN TO TWELVE FOOT DROP OFF. AS THE PLANE LEFT THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE FROM RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, THE PILOT APPLIED AFT YOKE AND THE PLANE WAS AIRBORNE AND FLYING. BECAUSE OF THE RIGHT RUDDER STILL APPLIED THE PLANE PIVOTED TO PARALLEL THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE A FEW SIX TO EIGHT FOOT TALL JUNIPERS ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP CAUGHT ONE OF THOSE AND FLYING SPEED WAS LOST AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST NOSED STRAIGHT IN TO THE SIDE OF THE INCLINE. FUEL TANKS WERE NOT RUPTURED, BUT BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME ANGLES THERE WAS SOME FUEL LOSS OUT OF THE VENTSPILOT COUNSELED ON TEST FLYING AND FUNCTIONAL CHECKS REQUIRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.