What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Inspectors interviewed pilot on August 27. Pilotstated that he was friends with the owner of the Unimproved airport where the accident occurred, and that he discussed the condition of the airport and the best approach/departure procedures to be used when operating there. They also discussed the fact that this airport is located on a ridge top and that the winds can get very squirrely at any time. The pilot stated winds where changing direction and gusting between 8-10 knots at the time of the accident. Pilot stated that he was up late the night before the accident because he was out with friends planning their upcoming hunting trip so he did not get the usual amount of sleep he normally would prior to flying. He had made three previous landings and the landing going into the airport where the accident took place. This was his first time at this airport, so he made several, 8-10, passes prior to landing. He landed downhill in gusty winds which got his adrenaline flowing and made him anxious when it came time to think about departing the airport. Reflecting on the accident, he stated that he did not perform a checklist after landing or prior to take-off from the accident airport, so after the accident, he noticed that the propeller control was not pushed all the way forward (required to achieve full power) and he partially applied brakes during takeoff run because he was anxious about the take-off and the wind made him nervous. This made him tense on the pedals and he inadvertently was applying pressure to the brakes. As a result, the aircraft was having difficulty accelerating. Once the aircraft did reach a speed in which the wings could generate lift, the brakes would decelerate the aircraft every time the aircraft encountered a bump or rise in terrain during the take-off roll. He initiated take-off up-hill (to the north) from bottom of hill with swirling winds because the prevailing winds were coming from out of the north. He failed to out climb the gradient and once minimum amount of lift was generated, turned away from hill in effort to increase climb rate because at the top of the incline, the terrain increased substantially. As soon as the turn was initiated, the aircraft lost lift, the left wing struck a tree and settled into trees on the side of the ridge crest in a depression. The pilot was uninjured but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
INSPECTORS INTERVIEWED PILOT ON AUGUST 27. PILOTSTATED THAT HE WAS FRIENDS WITH THE OWNER OF THE UNIMPROVED AIRPORT WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, AND THAT HE DISCUSSED THE CONDITION OF THE AIRPORT AND THE BEST APPROACH/DEPARTURE PROCEDURES TO BE USED WHEN OPERATING THERE. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THIS AIRPORT IS LOCATED ON A RIDGE TOP AND THAT THE WINDS CAN GET VERY SQUIRRELY AT ANY TIME. THE PILOT STATED WINDS WHERE CHANGING DIRECTION AND GUSTING BETWEEN 8-10 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UP LATE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE HE WAS OUT WITH FRIENDS PLANNING THEIR UPCOMING HUNTING TRIP SO HE DID NOT GET THE USUAL AMOUNT OF SLEEP HE NORMALLY WOULD PRIOR TO FLYING. HE HAD MADE THREE PREVIOUS LANDINGS AND THE LANDING GOING INTO THE AIRPORT WHERE THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME AT THIS AIRPORT, SO HE MADE SEVERAL, 8-10, PASSES PRIOR TO LANDING. HE LANDED DOWNHILL IN GUSTY WINDS WHICH GOT HIS ADRENALINE FLOWING AND MADE HIM ANXIOUS WHEN IT CAME TIME TO THINK ABOUT DEPARTING THE AIRPORT. REFLECTING ON THE ACCIDENT, HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM A CHECKLIST AFTER LANDING OR PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT, SO AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE NOTICED THAT THE PROPELLER CONTROL WAS NOT PUSHED ALL THE WAY FORWARD (REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE FULL POWER) AND HE PARTIALLY APPLIED BRAKES DURING TAKEOFF RUN BECAUSE HE WAS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE TAKE-OFF AND THE WIND MADE HIM NERVOUS. THIS MADE HIM TENSE ON THE PEDALS AND HE INADVERTENTLY WAS APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT DID REACH A SPEED IN WHICH THE WINGS COULD GENERATE LIFT, THE BRAKES WOULD DECELERATE THE AIRCRAFT EVERY TIME THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A BUMP OR RISE IN TERRAIN DURING THE TAKE-OFF ROLL. HE INITIATED TAKE-OFF UP-HILL (TO THE NORTH) FROM BOTTOM OF HILL WITH SWIRLING WINDS BECAUSE THE PREVAILING WINDS WERE COMING FROM OUT OF THE NORTH. HE FAILED TO OUT CLIMB THE GRADIENT AND ONCE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LIFT WAS GENERATED, TURNED AWAY FROM HILL IN EFFORT TO INCREASE CLIMB RATE BECAUSE AT THE TOP OF THE INCLINE, THE TERRAIN INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. AS SOON AS THE TURN WAS INITIATED, THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE AND SETTLED INTO TREES ON THE SIDE OF THE RIDGE CREST IN A DEPRESSION. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.