What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had planned to taxi back to the arrival end of the duty runway, but his passenger expressed displeasure at the thought of taxiing in a latched, greenhouse-like canopy. The pilot stated he checked the windsock at the departure end of the duty runway, which showed a tailwind. The pilot elected to takeoff opposite direction of the duty runway instead of taxiing to the other end of the runway. The aircraft accelerated and rotated in accordance with the airplane's flying manual, but loss lift and ground effect as it climbed. The pilot stated he was unable to continue his climb and developed an unrecoverable descent. The airplane impacted the ground on the approximately 100 feet to left side of the departure end of the non-duty runway threshold with substantial damage to the airframe, and no post crash fire or explosion.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD PLANNED TO TAXI BACK TO THE ARRIVAL END OF THE DUTY RUNWAY, BUT HIS PASSENGER EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE AT THE THOUGHT OF TAXIING IN A LATCHED, GREENHOUSE-LIKE CANOPY. THE PILOT STATED HE CHECKED THE WINDSOCK AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE DUTY RUNWAY, WHICH SHOWED A TAILWIND. THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE DUTY RUNWAY INSTEAD OF TAXIING TO THE OTHER END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED AND ROTATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRPLANE'S FLYING MANUAL, BUT LOSS LIFT AND GROUND EFFECT AS IT CLIMBED. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE HIS CLIMB AND DEVELOPED AN UNRECOVERABLE DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ON THE APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET TO LEFT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE NON-DUTY RUNWAY THRESHOLD WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME, AND NO POST CRASH FIRE OR EXPLOSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.