20140525008999A

At approximately 0915 on may 25, 2014 , a Piper PA-28-140, with an upgraded 180HP engine, crashed into the trees 1100 feet from the departure end of runway 27 at Maran Airport in Fountain, Florida. The pilot's injuries were extremely critical and his three passengers were killed. Approximately 2000 feet of the 5100 feet grass and sand runway at Maran was unusable because of flood damage from recent heavy rains. The western end of the runway is bordered by 70-foot high pine trees. Video evidence provided by witnesses indicates the aircraft took off from the soft dry runway with the flaps fully retracted and immediately pitched up to a nose-high angle of attack. The aircraft cleared the tree line by approximately 30 feet but immediately started descending back into the trees. As the aircraft descended, the aircrafts nose-high attitude steadily increased until the aircraft went out of sight. A few seconds later the aircraft can be heard crashing through the trees to the ground. Examination of the crash scene indicates the aircraft crashed through the trees and hit the ground, nose first, flipped inverted, and exploded. Witness marks on trees and damage to the propeller indicate the engine was making power at the time of the crash.