20110626013739A

NOTE: TIMES, HEADINGS, AND ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM RYAN FIELD, MT, (EAST OF WEST GLACIER) AT 1000 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT). THE AIRCRAFT, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT FLYFISHER (BASED ON THE PIPER PA12), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA RATINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED HE SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE PREFLIGHT THAT MORNING, ABOUT ¼ CUP PER DRAIN, NO WATER WAS NOTED. THE FLIGHT WAS VFR, NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS PART 91. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED A 10 MINUTE RUNUP & MAGNETO WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE LONGER RUNUP IN PART DUE TO THE HEAVY DEW FROM EARLIER THAT MORNING. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH ON RUNWAY 15, AT 1000 MDT. OTHER PILOTS ON THE GROUND & ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HEARD ONE ENGINE "POP" WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CHECKED HIS GAGES AND DID NOT SEE ANY FLUCTUATION, SO CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD CLIMBED TO 200 FEET AGL AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY, WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGINE LOOSE POWER. HE STATED IT QUIT LIKE IT HAD A "SLUG OF WATER". OTHER PILOTS ON THE GROUND DESCRIBED IT AS THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED". ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW WATER, TREES AND HILLS AHEAD, AND SAW AN OPENING IN THE TREES CLOSE TO AND BELOW THE RUNWAY. HE TURNED AROUND TO HEAD TO THAT OPEN AREA. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS LOW ANGLE, AND LOW ENERGY THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM IMPACTING TREES AND THE GROUND. FORWARD SPEED WAS DISSIPATED WHEN TREES WERE HIT. BOTH WINGS STRUCK TREES; THE LEFT WING HIT A SMALLER TREE CRUSHING THE LEADING EDGE TO THE SPAR, DISPLACING THE LEADING EDGE UP; THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A LARGER TWO TRUNKED BIRCH TREE, 8 TO 10" IN DIAMETER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BREAKING BOTH SPARS AND TWISTING THE LEADING EDGE ON THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE WING TO THE TRAILING EDGE, BREAKING THE LIFT STRUTS AND FOLDING THE WING UP TO THE VERTICAL POSITION. THE LIFT STRUTS WERE ALSO BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ABOUT 180 DEGREES FROM THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF FLIGHT, POINTED AT 188 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE WITH THE RIGHT WING MORE OR LESS PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND THE LEFT WING PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND. THE FUEL TANK WITH LEFT WING IN THE VERTICAL POSITION WAS FULL TO THE FUEL CAP, AS IT LEAKED OUT TO THE LEVEL. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL TO THE FILLER NECK. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WERE BENT AND CURLED UPWARDS FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY TORN LOOSE AND FOLDED OVER TO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. FUSELAGE LONGERONS WERE BENT AND THE CABIN OVERHEAD TUBING WAS PUSHED TOGETHER & DOWN IN THE CENTER OVERHEAD CABIN AREA. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE WITH THE AIRCRAFT. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN OFF AND IMBEDDED IN A DOWNED TREE. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED COMPRESSION BACK INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER HAD BROKEN RIBS.