What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 27, 2014, at about 3:35 PDT, N307KF, Tifft Kitfox III, an amateur-built aircraft crashed following a loss of control during initial climb-out and was substantially damaged at Frontier Airpark (WN53), Lake Stevens, Washington. According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft took-off on runway 34 and lifted off at approximately 1/4 down the runway and appeared to be climbing at a high angle of attack. The airplane proceeded northbound on it's initial climb-out. The wings started to rock to the left (west), then corrected with the flaperon input to the right(east). The airplane appeared heavy and underpowered and was not climbing well. Upon reaching an altitude of approximately 200 AGL. The airplane continued to pitch to avoid the trees, then the wings started to rock back and forth and the right wing dropped consistent with the stall with a nose down attitude. Witnesses lost sight of the airplane as it descended from behind the trees. The aircraft crashed and came to rest on its nose and left wing with the fuselage oriented in the tail up position on the east side of the taxiway.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2014, AT ABOUT 3:35 PDT, N307KF, TIFFT KITFOX III, AN AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT CRASHED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING INITIAL CLIMB-OUT AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AT FRONTIER AIRPARK (WN53), LAKE STEVENS, WASHINGTON. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT TOOK-OFF ON RUNWAY 34 AND LIFTED OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 1/4 DOWN THE RUNWAY AND APPEARED TO BE CLIMBING AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK. THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED NORTHBOUND ON IT'S INITIAL CLIMB-OUT. THE WINGS STARTED TO ROCK TO THE LEFT (WEST), THEN CORRECTED WITH THE FLAPERON INPUT TO THE RIGHT(EAST). THE AIRPLANE APPEARED HEAVY AND UNDERPOWERED AND WAS NOT CLIMBING WELL. UPON REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 AGL. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO PITCH TO AVOID THE TREES, THEN THE WINGS STARTED TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH AND THE RIGHT WING DROPPED CONSISTENT WITH THE STALL WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. WITNESSES LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT DESCENDED FROM BEHIND THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE AND LEFT WING WITH THE FUSELAGE ORIENTED IN THE TAIL UP POSITION ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.