What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that, "he taxied to runway 21, slowly brought the power up, using the centerline to the left as reference. The tail came up and started takeoff, I don?t remember anything until I was hanging upside down".
A witness stated the aircraft bounced 2 times, went off the right side of the runway onto grass, came down on the left hand landing gear breaking a repair weld on the axle. The aircraft flipped over onto its top wing upside down, coming to rest at the 1000 foot mark. The left wheel with axle inside was found in the grass at the intersection north of runways 21 and 12, approximately 250 feet from the aircraft.
The aircraft was moved into a t-hangar prior to FAA arrival on scene. Damage consisted of the right wing broken in half at the center of the wing, left wing fairing had screws pulled away from the bottom root of the wing, and torn canvas at the anchor points to the center wing. Continuity of flight controls was confirmed. The top of the rudder is broken in half, both propeller blades are sheared off, and the left main landing gear wheel was broken off at an axle weld. The left hand main landing gear tire is flat with two gouges. Both witness and pilot stated the engine was running strong.
Upon further inspection, the secondary factor of the weld to the left landing gear axle not penetrating throughout the repaired axle tube, increased the severity of the accident. The left tire had a gouge radially inboard with black silicone smeared into the cut.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT, "HE TAXIED TO RUNWAY 21, SLOWLY BROUGHT THE POWER UP, USING THE CENTERLINE TO THE LEFT AS REFERENCE. THE TAIL CAME UP AND STARTED TAKEOFF, I DON?T REMEMBER ANYTHING UNTIL I WAS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN".
A WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED 2 TIMES, WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY ONTO GRASS, CAME DOWN ON THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR BREAKING A REPAIR WELD ON THE AXLE. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS TOP WING UPSIDE DOWN, COMING TO REST AT THE 1000 FOOT MARK. THE LEFT WHEEL WITH AXLE INSIDE WAS FOUND IN THE GRASS AT THE INTERSECTION NORTH OF RUNWAYS 21 AND 12, APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED INTO A T-HANGAR PRIOR TO FAA ARRIVAL ON SCENE. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF THE RIGHT WING BROKEN IN HALF AT THE CENTER OF THE WING, LEFT WING FAIRING HAD SCREWS PULLED AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM ROOT OF THE WING, AND TORN CANVAS AT THE ANCHOR POINTS TO THE CENTER WING. CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROLS WAS CONFIRMED. THE TOP OF THE RUDDER IS BROKEN IN HALF, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES ARE SHEARED OFF, AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF AT AN AXLE WELD. THE LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE IS FLAT WITH TWO GOUGES. BOTH WITNESS AND PILOT STATED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING STRONG.
UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE SECONDARY FACTOR OF THE WELD TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AXLE NOT PENETRATING THROUGHOUT THE REPAIRED AXLE TUBE, INCREASED THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LEFT TIRE HAD A GOUGE RADIALLY INBOARD WITH BLACK SILICONE SMEARED INTO THE CUT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.