What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Eye-witness statement by friend & wife of pilot involved in aircraft accident:
This date July 31, 2016, I witnessed an aircraft (weight-shift control) taking-off on runway 14 with a passenger.
Upon take-off the aircraft lifted-off to about 4 to 6 feet and came back down touching wheels and continued to lift-off a second & third time again about 4 to 6 feet, and on the third contact with the runway, as the wheels touched down, the left rear wheel broke. The aircraft leaned left and scraped to a halt.
The passenger of the accident a/c made the following statement:
On Sunday, July 31st,2016, at Valkaria airport (about 07:00 in the morning) after preflight check offs, ^mike^ the pilot & I decided to walk towards his aircraft for take-off. At this time, ^bob^, another pilot & his wife were not quite ready to take off. We taxied out to the runway from the hanger, ^mike^ started to explain what to anticipate and the course of our flight. As we approached the beginning of the runway, he explained that we would lose communication for a minute while he checked to see if the airspace was clear. After verification, we were back in communication and proceeded down the runway. We started down the runway and approached our runway speed of 60 mph. After hitting our target speed, ^mike^ pushed the handlebar and the aircraft began to rise.
After about five to six feet in the air something went wrong. Right after, the nose of the aircraft began to dive down. ^mike attempted^ to slow down/stop the aircraft but was unsuccessful. Our first hit was nose first, the aircraft proceeded to go up and down another two times. On the third hit the aircraft fell on the left side and a wheel broke (I'm not sure if more than one wheel broke). After, it pulled us down the runway (the distance unknown). After we came to a stop, ^mike^ was sitting on the runway with the aircraft laying on his back. I was laying on the runway with my left leg trapped in the aircraft from what I beleive to be the seat and seatbelt. I proceeded to yell to ^mike^ "I think I broke my leg". He was able to unleash my seatbelt and/or move the aircraft to release my leg. Once I was free, I knew my left leg was broken, as the bone was exposed. ^mike^ began to state that he thought his hip was broken. The aircraft remained on his back until help arrived.
As the FAA filed it
EYE-WITNESS STATEMENT BY FRIEND & WIFE OF PILOT INVOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT:
THIS DATE JULY 31, 2016, I WITNESSED AN AIRCRAFT (WEIGHT-SHIFT CONTROL) TAKING-OFF ON RUNWAY 14 WITH A PASSENGER.
UPON TAKE-OFF THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED-OFF TO ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET AND CAME BACK DOWN TOUCHING WHEELS AND CONTINUED TO LIFT-OFF A SECOND & THIRD TIME AGAIN ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET, AND ON THE THIRD CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE. THE AIRCRAFT LEANED LEFT AND SCRAPED TO A HALT.
THE PASSENGER OF THE ACCIDENT A/C MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
ON SUNDAY, JULY 31ST,2016, AT VALKARIA AIRPORT (ABOUT 07:00 IN THE MORNING) AFTER PREFLIGHT CHECK OFFS, ^MIKE^ THE PILOT & I DECIDED TO WALK TOWARDS HIS AIRCRAFT FOR TAKE-OFF. AT THIS TIME, ^BOB^, ANOTHER PILOT & HIS WIFE WERE NOT QUITE READY TO TAKE OFF. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RUNWAY FROM THE HANGER, ^MIKE^ STARTED TO EXPLAIN WHAT TO ANTICIPATE AND THE COURSE OF OUR FLIGHT. AS WE APPROACHED THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY, HE EXPLAINED THAT WE WOULD LOSE COMMUNICATION FOR A MINUTE WHILE HE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE AIRSPACE WAS CLEAR. AFTER VERIFICATION, WE WERE BACK IN COMMUNICATION AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE RUNWAY. WE STARTED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND APPROACHED OUR RUNWAY SPEED OF 60 MPH. AFTER HITTING OUR TARGET SPEED, ^MIKE^ PUSHED THE HANDLEBAR AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO RISE.
AFTER ABOUT FIVE TO SIX FEET IN THE AIR SOMETHING WENT WRONG. RIGHT AFTER, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DIVE DOWN. ^MIKE ATTEMPTED^ TO SLOW DOWN/STOP THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. OUR FIRST HIT WAS NOSE FIRST, THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO GO UP AND DOWN ANOTHER TWO TIMES. ON THE THIRD HIT THE AIRCRAFT FELL ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A WHEEL BROKE (I'M NOT SURE IF MORE THAN ONE WHEEL BROKE). AFTER, IT PULLED US DOWN THE RUNWAY (THE DISTANCE UNKNOWN). AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP, ^MIKE^ WAS SITTING ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE AIRCRAFT LAYING ON HIS BACK. I WAS LAYING ON THE RUNWAY WITH MY LEFT LEG TRAPPED IN THE AIRCRAFT FROM WHAT I BELEIVE TO BE THE SEAT AND SEATBELT. I PROCEEDED TO YELL TO ^MIKE^ "I THINK I BROKE MY LEG". HE WAS ABLE TO UNLEASH MY SEATBELT AND/OR MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO RELEASE MY LEG. ONCE I WAS FREE, I KNEW MY LEFT LEG WAS BROKEN, AS THE BONE WAS EXPOSED. ^MIKE^ BEGAN TO STATE THAT HE THOUGHT HIS HIP WAS BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON HIS BACK UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.