What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft had just come out of an annual inspection. The pilot arrived to fly his aircraft from Marshfield, MA (ghg) back to home base falmouth airpark (5B6). Witnesses say that the aircraft sounded normal taxiing out and during pre-takeoff checks. Witnesses described a popping sound when the aircraft was taking off down the runway. Witnesses near the departure end of the runway described the plane to be sputtering and fighting for altitude about 200 to 300 feet above ground. A contractor on airport monitoring the Marshfield airport UNICOM frequency heard the pilot announce "Marshfield traffic, Maule turning back, I've got a rough runner". Witnesses say the sputtering noise was no longer heard and the airplane stopped gaining altitude, banked left to return to the runway, and crashed into the woods. A post crash fire resulted, and the aircraft was destroyed, all that remains is the fuesalage frame, engine, and propeller. The pilot survived yet sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PILOT ARRIVED TO FLY HIS AIRCRAFT FROM MARSHFIELD, MA (GHG) BACK TO HOME BASE FALMOUTH AIRPARK (5B6). WITNESSES SAY THAT THE AIRCRAFT SOUNDED NORMAL TAXIING OUT AND DURING PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A POPPING SOUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKING OFF DOWN THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY DESCRIBED THE PLANE TO BE SPUTTERING AND FIGHTING FOR ALTITUDE ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND. A CONTRACTOR ON AIRPORT MONITORING THE MARSHFIELD AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY HEARD THE PILOT ANNOUNCE "MARSHFIELD TRAFFIC, MAULE TURNING BACK, I'VE GOT A ROUGH RUNNER". WITNESSES SAY THE SPUTTERING NOISE WAS NO LONGER HEARD AND THE AIRPLANE STOPPED GAINING ALTITUDE, BANKED LEFT TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, AND CRASHED INTO THE WOODS. A POST CRASH FIRE RESULTED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE FUESALAGE FRAME, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER. THE PILOT SURVIVED YET SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.