What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mr. Reed was taking off at a private strip with two passengers (his son & son's friend). Acft was half full of fuel. He stated he did not perform weight & balance on paper before departing but estimated weight of passengers, baggage and fuel and determined acft was under max payload. He performed a preflight and end of runway check. Mr. Reed stated that flaps were at one notch before take-off. He stated that the aircraft reached about 100 ft of altitude about halfway down the runway. He estimated aircraft was about 400-500 ft altitude at end of runway at about 100 knots. He initiated a slight left turn (due to taller trees) and put the flaps to 0. He stated the acft felt like it was hovering and realized the acft was going to crash into the trees. Passengers escaped with minor injuries just as acft burst into flames.
As the FAA filed it
MR. REED WAS TAKING OFF AT A PRIVATE STRIP WITH TWO PASSENGERS (HIS SON & SON'S FRIEND). ACFT WAS HALF FULL OF FUEL. HE STATED HE DID NOT PERFORM WEIGHT & BALANCE ON PAPER BEFORE DEPARTING BUT ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE AND FUEL AND DETERMINED ACFT WAS UNDER MAX PAYLOAD. HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND END OF RUNWAY CHECK. MR. REED STATED THAT FLAPS WERE AT ONE NOTCH BEFORE TAKE-OFF. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT REACHED ABOUT 100 FT OF ALTITUDE ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE ESTIMATED AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 400-500 FT ALTITUDE AT END OF RUNWAY AT ABOUT 100 KNOTS. HE INITIATED A SLIGHT LEFT TURN (DUE TO TALLER TREES) AND PUT THE FLAPS TO 0. HE STATED THE ACFT FELT LIKE IT WAS HOVERING AND REALIZED THE ACFT WAS GOING TO CRASH INTO THE TREES. PASSENGERS ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES JUST AS ACFT BURST INTO FLAMES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.