What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft sustained substantial damaged when it impacted trees during takeoff from Limington airport (63B), Limington, Maine. The pilot was fatally injured. Flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to twitchell airport (3B5), turner, Maine.
According to a witness at 63B, the aircraft departed runway 29, in a nose-high attitude, which was followed by a stall to the left and impact with trees off the left side of the runway. Two other witnesses, who lived next to the departure end of the runway, stated that they heard a momentary sputter of engine noise, followed by a return to power. The engine noise then seemed normal for 5 to 10 seconds, which was followed by the sound of an impact. They did not see the impact, but noted that the airplane was not as high as it should have been at the end of the runway.
The aircraft came to rest in an area of trees in a nose-down, upright attitude, on a northerly heading about 250 feet south of the runway. The 20-gallon header fuel tank was compromised during impact and a strong odor of fuel was present at the site. Both main landing gear were extended and partially separated during impact. The wings remained attached to the fuselage and exhibited leading edge crush damage. The empennage remained intact and was canted left. Examination of the cockpit revealed that the throttle and mixture controls were in the full-forward position. The magneto switch was on both, the carburetor heat was off and the primer was in and locked.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES DURING TAKEOFF FROM LIMINGTON AIRPORT (63B), LIMINGTON, MAINE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PLANNED FLIGHT TO TWITCHELL AIRPORT (3B5), TURNER, MAINE.
ACCORDING TO A WITNESS AT 63B, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 29, IN A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A STALL TO THE LEFT AND IMPACT WITH TREES OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. TWO OTHER WITNESSES, WHO LIVED NEXT TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, STATED THAT THEY HEARD A MOMENTARY SPUTTER OF ENGINE NOISE, FOLLOWED BY A RETURN TO POWER. THE ENGINE NOISE THEN SEEMED NORMAL FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF AN IMPACT. THEY DID NOT SEE THE IMPACT, BUT NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT AS HIGH AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN AREA OF TREES IN A NOSE-DOWN, UPRIGHT ATTITUDE, ON A NORTHERLY HEADING ABOUT 250 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE 20-GALLON HEADER FUEL TANK WAS COMPROMISED DURING IMPACT AND A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE SITE. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE EXTENDED AND PARTIALLY SEPARATED DURING IMPACT. THE WINGS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE AND EXHIBITED LEADING EDGE CRUSH DAMAGE. THE EMPENNAGE REMAINED INTACT AND WAS CANTED LEFT. EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE IN THE FULL-FORWARD POSITION. THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS ON BOTH, THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS OFF AND THE PRIMER WAS IN AND LOCKED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.