What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/21/2012 at approximately 11:15AM while taking off runway 2 on a northern heading, at very low altitude, the aircraft drifted into a cornfield on the east side of the runway departure end and flipped upside down landing in a southern heading. The corn stalks were approximately 5-6 feet tall. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings, left main landing gear, the propeller and fuselage. It was noted in the pilot deposition dated 7/21/2012 at 12:05PM that when the aircraft first began to enter the cornfield, the pilot shut down the engine before full contact with the ground, before it flipped over. Only one of the two blades on the propeller was bent backward. The pilot and single passenger were able to exit the aircraft side door as it was overturned and were un-injured. The pilot recalls experiencing no mechanical failures.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/21/2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15AM WHILE TAKING OFF RUNWAY 2 ON A NORTHERN HEADING, AT VERY LOW ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED INTO A CORNFIELD ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DEPARTURE END AND FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN LANDING IN A SOUTHERN HEADING. THE CORN STALKS WERE APPROXIMATELY 5-6 FEET TALL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE PROPELLER AND FUSELAGE. IT WAS NOTED IN THE PILOT DEPOSITION DATED 7/21/2012 AT 12:05PM THAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FIRST BEGAN TO ENTER THE CORNFIELD, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE BEFORE FULL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, BEFORE IT FLIPPED OVER. ONLY ONE OF THE TWO BLADES ON THE PROPELLER WAS BENT BACKWARD. THE PILOT AND SINGLE PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT SIDE DOOR AS IT WAS OVERTURNED AND WERE UN-INJURED. THE PILOT RECALLS EXPERIENCING NO MECHANICAL FAILURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.