What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 4, 2014, about 1620 EDT time, an experimental amateur-built Helpling tango 2, N599WT, was destroyed during collision with terrain and a subsequent post-crash fire after take off from Ocala International Airport (ocf), Ocala, Florida. The private pilotprivacy data omitted was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The pilot was not immediately available for interview, as she was being treated for her injuries. Several witnesses provided statements to the police, and their statements were consistent throughout. Some said that their attention was drawn to the sound of the airplane's engine during its pre-takeoff runup due to a "popping" sound; but reported that the engine sound was smooth and continuous at "full" power throughout the takeoff. After takeoff, the airplane climbed about 20 feet above the runway when the left canopy opened "suddenly" and began "flapping up and down." The airplane began "porpoising" before it entered a steep left bank and subsequently impacted the ground in a left-wing-low attitude and a postcrash fire ensued. As of this date, unable to get pilot statement due to pilot still in burn unit at hospital.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 4, 2014, ABOUT 1620 EDT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT HELPLING TANGO 2, N599WT, WAS DESTROYED DURING COLLISION WITH TERRAIN AND A SUBSEQUENT POST-CRASH FIRE AFTER TAKE OFF FROM OCALA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (OCF), OCALA, FLORIDA. THE PRIVATE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PILOT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW, AS SHE WAS BEING TREATED FOR HER INJURIES. SEVERAL WITNESSES PROVIDED STATEMENTS TO THE POLICE, AND THEIR STATEMENTS WERE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT. SOME SAID THAT THEIR ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO THE SOUND OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE DURING ITS PRE-TAKEOFF RUNUP DUE TO A "POPPING" SOUND; BUT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUND WAS SMOOTH AND CONTINUOUS AT "FULL" POWER THROUGHOUT THE TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WHEN THE LEFT CANOPY OPENED "SUDDENLY" AND BEGAN "FLAPPING UP AND DOWN." THE AIRPLANE BEGAN "PORPOISING" BEFORE IT ENTERED A STEEP LEFT BANK AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEFT-WING-LOW ATTITUDE AND A POSTCRASH FIRE ENSUED. AS OF THIS DATE, UNABLE TO GET PILOT STATEMENT DUE TO PILOT STILL IN BURN UNIT AT 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.