What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On takeoff at unfamiliar airport with aircraft near maximum gross weight low time pilot lost control of aircraft resulting in a drift to left of centerline. Due to spatial disorientation caused by the runway rapidly sloping up pilot incorrectly determined aircraft was not gaining altitude. Pilot then attempted to abort takeoff and left main gear landed in turf on the left edge of runway increasing left drift rate. Due to the close proximity of trees to the runway the left wing struck 3 conifer trees. The third tree rotated the aircraft approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise. The aircraft continued in the original direction sliding sideways between two additional trees striking the tail and propeller. The aircraft continued and came to a stop against a sixth tree.
No witness marks were noted indicating application of braking throughout the ground portion of the accident and pilot verified same during interview in our office on April 3, 2013 at 1000 local. He also stated he tried to correct the drift until the aircraft encountered the third tree that spun the aircraft and could not recall ever using rudder commands to try to correct the drift.
As the FAA filed it
ON TAKEOFF AT UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LOW TIME PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A DRIFT TO LEFT OF CENTERLINE. DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION CAUSED BY THE RUNWAY RAPIDLY SLOPING UP PILOT INCORRECTLY DETERMINED AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GAINING ALTITUDE. PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO ABORT TAKEOFF AND LEFT MAIN GEAR LANDED IN TURF ON THE LEFT EDGE OF RUNWAY INCREASING LEFT DRIFT RATE. DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF TREES TO THE RUNWAY THE LEFT WING STRUCK 3 CONIFER TREES. THE THIRD TREE ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION SLIDING SIDEWAYS BETWEEN TWO ADDITIONAL TREES STRIKING THE TAIL AND PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED AND CAME TO A STOP AGAINST A SIXTH TREE.
NO WITNESS MARKS WERE NOTED INDICATING APPLICATION OF BRAKING THROUGHOUT THE GROUND PORTION OF THE ACCIDENT AND PILOT VERIFIED SAME DURING INTERVIEW IN OUR OFFICE ON APRIL 3, 2013 AT 1000 LOCAL. HE ALSO STATED HE TRIED TO CORRECT THE DRIFT UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED THE THIRD TREE THAT SPUN THE AIRCRAFT AND COULD NOT RECALL EVER USING RUDDER COMMANDS TO TRY TO CORRECT THE DRIFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.