What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 18, 2011 about 0950 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 (cherokee), N1803T, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and the ground following a departure from Guntersville municipal airport – joe starnes field (8A1), Guntersville, Alabama. The flight's intended destination was destin/ft. walton beach airport (dts), destin, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; one other passenger was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Airport records indicated that the airplane had just been refueled at 8A1 and had received 35.8 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The fuel invoice indicated a time of 0946:07. Several eyewitnesses observed the airplane on the takeoff roll. Witness reported that the airplane rotated approximately two-thirds down the runway, pitched up to a nose high attitude, appeared to level, pitched up to a nose high attitude, and subsequently appeared to have a "high sink rate." They further reported that the airplane went below their view point but was seen in a wing's level nose high attitude. Another witness reported that the airplane had intended to land at an airport approximately 10 miles south of the departure airport; however, diverted to the departure airport to acquire fuel. The witness further stated that the accident pilot told him he had ran one fuel tank empty and the engine quit in flight. He had switched tanks and was able to get the engine restarted in flight. Pilot was not sure he would have enough fuel to make it to the intended fuel stop of (8A0) albertville regional airport so he decided to land at 8A1 to acquire fuel. One witness observed the airplane come over the tree line behind their house, impact the ground in a nose down attitude, and two passengers were ejected from the airplane. He further reported that he did not hear any "unusual engine noises."
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 18, 2011 ABOUT 0950 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140 (CHEROKEE), N1803T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND THE GROUND FOLLOWING A DEPARTURE FROM GUNTERSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT – JOE STARNES FIELD (8A1), GUNTERSVILLE, ALABAMA. THE FLIGHT'S INTENDED DESTINATION WAS DESTIN/FT. WALTON BEACH AIRPORT (DTS), DESTIN, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED; ONE OTHER PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. AIRPORT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST BEEN REFUELED AT 8A1 AND HAD RECEIVED 35.8 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL. THE FUEL INVOICE INDICATED A TIME OF 0946:07. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE ROTATED APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS DOWN THE RUNWAY, PITCHED UP TO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, APPEARED TO LEVEL, PITCHED UP TO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED TO HAVE A "HIGH SINK RATE." THEY FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WENT BELOW THEIR VIEW POINT BUT WAS SEEN IN A WING'S LEVEL NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT AN AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, DIVERTED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO ACQUIRE FUEL. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT TOLD HIM HE HAD RAN ONE FUEL TANK EMPTY AND THE ENGINE QUIT IN FLIGHT. HE HAD SWITCHED TANKS AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RESTARTED IN FLIGHT. PILOT WAS NOT SURE HE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO THE INTENDED FUEL STOP OF (8A0) ALBERTVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT SO HE DECIDED TO LAND AT 8A1 TO ACQUIRE FUEL.ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE COME OVER THE TREE LINE BEHIND THEIR HOUSE, IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR ANY "UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISES."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.