What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At 0438Z on 9/11/2016 the mishap aircraft attempted to depart runway 21 at the Brodhead airport (C37) on a VFR flight to the oscoda county airport (51M). Weather conditions were clear with 10 miles of visibility, light winds out of the southwest. The runway was grass, and was fairly soft due to significant rain earlier in the week. The mishap pilot was the only occupant, and the aircraft was lightly loaded.
The mishap pilot was conducting his takeoff using soft field procedures, and rotated early. The aircraft lifted off and immediately settled back to the runway. The takeoff attempt continued, and on the second attempt to rotate the tail made contact with the ground. The aircraft lifted off in an unusually nose high attitude and stalled, beginning a roll to the left. The mishap pilot also retracted the landing gear once clear of the ground. Photographs obtained from witnesses showed that as the aircraft rolled left, and with the left wing in a stalled condition, the mishap pilot was applying full right aileron, full aft elevator, and rudder neutral. The aircraft made impact with the ground left wing first with the flight controls in these positions. The mishap aircraft suffered substantial damage, while the mishap pilot suffered minor injury to his elbow.
The investigation discovered no violations of federal aviation regulations.
As the FAA filed it
AT 0438Z ON 9/11/2016 THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO DEPART RUNWAY 21 AT THE BRODHEAD AIRPORT (C37) ON A VFR FLIGHT TO THE OSCODA COUNTY AIRPORT (51M). WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR WITH 10 MILES OF VISIBILITY, LIGHT WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. THE RUNWAY WAS GRASS, AND WAS FAIRLY SOFT DUE TO SIGNIFICANT RAIN EARLIER IN THE WEEK. THE MISHAP PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIGHTLY LOADED.
THE MISHAP PILOT WAS CONDUCTING HIS TAKEOFF USING SOFT FIELD PROCEDURES, AND ROTATED EARLY. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF AND IMMEDIATELY SETTLED BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT CONTINUED, AND ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO ROTATE THE TAIL MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF IN AN UNUSUALLY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND STALLED, BEGINNING A ROLL TO THE LEFT. THE MISHAP PILOT ALSO RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR ONCE CLEAR OF THE GROUND. PHOTOGRAPHS OBTAINED FROM WITNESSES SHOWED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT, AND WITH THE LEFT WING IN A STALLED CONDITION, THE MISHAP PILOT WAS APPLYING FULL RIGHT AILERON, FULL AFT ELEVATOR, AND RUDDER NEUTRAL. THE AIRCRAFT MADE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND LEFT WING FIRST WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS IN THESE POSITIONS. THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WHILE THE MISHAP PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURY TO HIS ELBOW.
THE INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED NO VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.