What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot required 2 seat cushions to comfortably see over the instrument panel. He gave one to his passenger for comfort. The airfield was narrow and slanted away steeply 1/3 down the runway. The temperature was hot and he elected to start departure roll from the very beginning when he usually starts where the downward slope begins. He hit the slope at the time his tail began to fly. The combined gyroscopic effect with both the tail coming up and the terrain sloping down veered the aircraft left undetectable to the pilot due to limited forward visibility over the nose. He input rudder and right breaking to center the aircraft with no effect due to the offset force of the left wing tip dragging through the willows. As the aircraft slowed, the left wing caught the trees and ground-looped the airplane. The accident was caused by loss of control by the pilot. We thoroughly debriefed the accident. No other action is necessary for airman compliance. The pilot fully understood the aerodynamic effects and the environmental factors that caused the accident. His competency is not in question.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REQUIRED 2 SEAT CUSHIONS TO COMFORTABLY SEE OVER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE GAVE ONE TO HIS PASSENGER FOR COMFORT. THE AIRFIELD WAS NARROW AND SLANTED AWAY STEEPLY 1/3 DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE TEMPERATURE WAS HOT AND HE ELECTED TO START DEPARTURE ROLL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN HE USUALLY STARTS WHERE THE DOWNWARD SLOPE BEGINS. HE HIT THE SLOPE AT THE TIME HIS TAIL BEGAN TO FLY. THE COMBINED GYROSCOPIC EFFECT WITH BOTH THE TAIL COMING UP AND THE TERRAIN SLOPING DOWN VEERED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT UNDETECTABLE TO THE PILOT DUE TO LIMITED FORWARD VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE. HE INPUT RUDDER AND RIGHT BREAKING TO CENTER THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO EFFECT DUE TO THE OFFSET FORCE OF THE LEFT WING TIP DRAGGING THROUGH THE WILLOWS. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, THE LEFT WING CAUGHT THE TREES AND GROUND-LOOPED THE AIRPLANE. THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY LOSS OF CONTROL BY THE PILOT. WE THOROUGHLY DEBRIEFED THE ACCIDENT. NO OTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY FOR AIRMAN COMPLIANCE. THE PILOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE AERODYNAMIC EFFECTS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. HIS COMPETENCY IS NOT IN QUESTION.
Other reports on N9939V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.