What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft taxied to rwy 29 for take-off after fueling at the airport self-fuel facility. Airport personnel witnessed the following while observing the aircraft taking off:
The stearman took off climbing to about 50 ft and proceeded about 500 yards to the west (at the end of) the airfield. At this time the plane did not climb any higher and banked in(to) a left turn and lost altitude until it crashed. The plane went in nose first and began to cartwheel in a cloud of dust.
The chase plane had taken off prior to the stearman. It was accompanying the stearman conducting video recording of flight/take-off. It circled the area after the crash and landed near the end of the runway. The chase plane crew notified airport personnel that both occupants of the stearman were out of the plane and walking around.
Airport personnel contacted emergency response units and directed them to the site when they arrived at the airport. Both occupants of the aircraft refused medical assistance.
The aircraft was recovered to airport hangar. Investigation of the aircraft verified all four wings and fuselage have sustained major structural damage.
Observations of the recovered aircraft indicate there was sufficient fuel aboard; there was no obvious engine damage; both propeller blades were bent aft; no indications of oil leaks; some blue fuel stains were observed along the outside housing of the air intake box below the carburetor.
Subsequent inspection of the aircraft & engine determine the engine was able to run normally with no malfunctions or systems failures noted.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO RWY 29 FOR TAKE-OFF AFTER FUELING AT THE AIRPORT SELF-FUEL FACILITY. AIRPORT PERSONNEL WITNESSED THE FOLLOWING WHILE OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF:
THE STEARMAN TOOK OFF CLIMBING TO ABOUT 50 FT AND PROCEEDED ABOUT 500 YARDS TO THE WEST (AT THE END OF) THE AIRFIELD. AT THIS TIME THE PLANE DID NOT CLIMB ANY HIGHER AND BANKED IN(TO) A LEFT TURN AND LOST ALTITUDE UNTIL IT CRASHED. THE PLANE WENT IN NOSE FIRST AND BEGAN TO CARTWHEEL IN A CLOUD OF DUST.
THE CHASE PLANE HAD TAKEN OFF PRIOR TO THE STEARMAN. IT WAS ACCOMPANYING THE STEARMAN CONDUCTING VIDEO RECORDING OF FLIGHT/TAKE-OFF. IT CIRCLED THE AREA AFTER THE CRASH AND LANDED NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE CHASE PLANE CREW NOTIFIED AIRPORT PERSONNEL THAT BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE STEARMAN WERE OUT OF THE PLANE AND WALKING AROUND.
AIRPORT PERSONNEL CONTACTED EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNITS AND DIRECTED THEM TO THE SITE WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT REFUSED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED TO AIRPORT HANGAR. INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT VERIFIED ALL FOUR WINGS AND FUSELAGE HAVE SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE RECOVERED AIRCRAFT INDICATE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL ABOARD; THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE; BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT; NO INDICATIONS OF OIL LEAKS; SOME BLUE FUEL STAINS WERE OBSERVED ALONG THE OUTSIDE HOUSING OF THE AIR INTAKE BOX BELOW THE CARBURETOR.
SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT & ENGINE DETERMINE THE ENGINE WAS ABLE TO RUN NORMALLY WITH NO MALFUNCTIONS OR SYSTEMS FAILURES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.