What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had been practicing take offs and landings that morning being the sole occupant in the aircraft. Prior to the accident flight, the passenger boarded the airplane. Witness reports indicate the aircraft took off on the runway with a southeast heading. Witnesses stated the aircraft was having difficulty gathering enough airspeed to take off. And after take-off having difficulty gaining altitude. The aircraft circled back to the west. In flight, the airplane wobbled left and right several times and then dropped out of the air.
The wreckage was found facing east 090 deg. The left wing was flat on the ground. The right wing root was up off the ground slightly due to how the fuselage was twisted and lying on its left side. The aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire. All flight controls were accounted for. All cables and control rods were found connected. The engine mount was broken however the engine was still in front of the firewall. The magnetos had been separated / broken out of the back of the engine but were sitting on the accessory case. The propeller was still attached to the prop flange. The left blade was splintered several inches from the hub. The separated portion was on the ground under the engine. A portion of the right blade was missing. The left wing fuel tank cap was missing and a welded seam in the tank was found ruptured.
The only mark in the terrain was the point of impact.
The aircraft was based at a private airport with a 2350 ft. turf runway. Winds at the approximate time of the accident were reported to be 340 @ 7. Winds at dsm, approximately 8 miles north of the accident site were reported as variable 020 to 310 @ 7.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD BEEN PRACTICING TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS THAT MORNING BEING THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRCRAFT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PASSENGER BOARDED THE AIRPLANE. WITNESS REPORTS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF ON THE RUNWAY WITH A SOUTHEAST HEADING. WITNESSES STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GATHERING ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO TAKE OFF. AND AFTER TAKE-OFF HAVING DIFFICULTY GAINING ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED BACK TO THE WEST. IN FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE WOBBLED LEFT AND RIGHT SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN DROPPED OUT OF THE AIR.
THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND FACING EAST 090 DEG. THE LEFT WING WAS FLAT ON THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING ROOT WAS UP OFF THE GROUND SLIGHTLY DUE TO HOW THE FUSELAGE WAS TWISTED AND LYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN A POST-CRASH FIRE. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. ALL CABLES AND CONTROL RODS WERE FOUND CONNECTED. THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BROKEN HOWEVER THE ENGINE WAS STILL IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. THE MAGNETOS HAD BEEN SEPARATED / BROKEN OUT OF THE BACK OF THE ENGINE BUT WERE SITTING ON THE ACCESSORY CASE. THE PROPELLER WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE PROP FLANGE. THE LEFT BLADE WAS SPLINTERED SEVERAL INCHES FROM THE HUB. THE SEPARATED PORTION WAS ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE. A PORTION OF THE RIGHT BLADE WAS MISSING. THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK CAP WAS MISSING AND A WELDED SEAM IN THE TANK WAS FOUND RUPTURED.
THE ONLY MARK IN THE TERRAIN WAS THE POINT OF IMPACT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BASED AT A PRIVATE AIRPORT WITH A 2350 FT. TURF RUNWAY. WINDS AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE 340 @ 7. WINDS AT DSM, APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE REPORTED AS VARIABLE 020 TO 310 @ 7.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.