What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that at the time of accident he looked at the windsock and said that the winds had died down and elected to depart on runway 35. He started with 10 degrees of flaps, and added flaps to get the tail flying. He stated in a phone interview, that the tail did not start flying until about 3/4TH of the runway was used. As he approached the end of the runway, he applied back pressure on the control stick to achieve lift-off. He said that he could feel the main wheels leave the runway but settled back with less than 500 feet of runway remaining. He attempted to achieve lift-off but the airplane settled back on all three wheels with no runway remaining. The airplane came to a rest in a soybean field, approximately ½ mile from the departure end.
Substantial damage occurred when the left main landing gear collapsed under the empennage and the prop stuck the ground. The engine mount separated from the attach points on the airframe and canted to the right. The pilot was not injured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT HE LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK AND SAID THAT THE WINDS HAD DIED DOWN AND ELECTED TO DEPART ON RUNWAY 35. HE STARTED WITH 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, AND ADDED FLAPS TO GET THE TAIL FLYING. HE STATED IN A PHONE INTERVIEW, THAT THE TAIL DID NOT START FLYING UNTIL ABOUT 3/4TH OF THE RUNWAY WAS USED. AS HE APPROACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE APPLIED BACK PRESSURE ON THE CONTROL STICK TO ACHIEVE LIFT-OFF. HE SAID THAT HE COULD FEEL THE MAIN WHEELS LEAVE THE RUNWAY BUT SETTLED BACK WITH LESS THAN 500 FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING. HE ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE LIFT-OFF BUT THE AIRPLANE SETTLED BACK ON ALL THREE WHEELS WITH NO RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A REST IN A SOYBEAN FIELD, APPROXIMATELY ½ MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED UNDER THE EMPENNAGE AND THE PROP STUCK THE GROUND. THE ENGINE MOUNT SEPARATED FROM THE ATTACH POINTS ON THE AIRFRAME AND CANTED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.