What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description:mishap aircraft was departing home (private grass) airport(TN77) to the south. At or near rotation airspeed, aircraft developed slight rolling tendency to the left and began skipping main gear to the left of runway centerline. Winds were light. Weather was VMC. The pilot released back pressure on the elevator to recover control and continued takeoff roll. Subsequent attempts to rotate caused the same result. Near the end of the runway the pilot elected to continue the takeoff and began a climbing left turn into the trees directly adjacent to the runway. Aircraft struck the trees approximately twenty feet above the ground and was totally destroyed. Causal factors:mishap pilot lack of familiarity with flight characteristics of make and model of aircraft. Aircraft engine was producing sufficient power until contact with the trees. Flight controls showed continuity after the crash with the exception of the missing wing. Mishap pilot confirmed both primary and secondary flight controls checked out during preflight inspection.
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION:MISHAP AIRCRAFT WAS DEPARTING HOME (PRIVATE GRASS) AIRPORT(TN77) TO THE SOUTH. AT OR NEAR ROTATION AIRSPEED, AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED SLIGHT ROLLING TENDENCY TO THE LEFT AND BEGAN SKIPPING MAIN GEAR TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE. WINDS WERE LIGHT. WEATHER WAS VMC. THE PILOT RELEASED BACK PRESSURE ON THE ELEVATOR TO RECOVER CONTROL AND CONTINUED TAKEOFF ROLL. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO ROTATE CAUSED THE SAME RESULT. NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF AND BEGAN A CLIMBING LEFT TURN INTO THE TREES DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREES APPROXIMATELY TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. CAUSAL FACTORS:MISHAP PILOT LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SUFFICIENT POWER UNTIL CONTACT WITH THE TREES. FLIGHT CONTROLS SHOWED CONTINUITY AFTER THE CRASH WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MISSING WING. MISHAP PILOT CONFIRMED BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FLIGHT CONTROLS CHECKED OUT DURING PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.