What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was asked if anything was wrong with the aircraft, engine, flight controls, etc... He stated that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the aircraft. The pilot confirmed he took off with no flaps and had full fuel on the aircraft prior to take off. He stated after the aircraft failed to gain altitude and he was getting to the end of the runway. He aborted the takeoff and at approximately 25 feet, the aircraft stalled and crashed. A video of the crash captured the crash and confirmed the aircraft failed to gain altitude, stalled and crashed. The windsock in the video indicated little to no wind at the time of the crash.
The pilot was asked if he performed a weight and balance prior to flight and he stated he had not and didn’t ask his passenger how much they weighed. The documents present were a pilot operating handbook (POH) that he had purchased on ebay, pilot log and aircraft maintenance records. The pilot stated that he was using the POH manual for performance planning. It was noted typed values added for the aircraft specifications. Inspectors discovered an as weighed weight and balance form in the aircraft. It was pointed out to the pilot that the as weighed weight and balance showed an aircraft empty weight of 1531 pounds and not the 1280 pounds that was typed into the POH. The only entry in the pilot logbook was 0.9 refresher training on 04/30/2022. It was noted the last annual was accomplished on June 25, 2015.
The pilot’s 3rd class medical performed on 04/12/2022 weight was 228 lbs. The aircraft had full fuel and the passenger weight was estimated to be around 250 if not more.
The pilot conceded that based on the information presented that the aircraft was overweight prior to takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS ASKED IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT, ENGINE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ETC... HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CONFIRMED HE TOOK OFF WITH NO FLAPS AND HAD FULL FUEL ON THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. HE STATED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND HE WAS GETTING TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND AT APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CRASHED. A VIDEO OF THE CRASH CAPTURED THE CRASH AND CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO GAIN ALTITUDE, STALLED AND CRASHED. THE WINDSOCK IN THE VIDEO INDICATED LITTLE TO NO WIND AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
THE PILOT WAS ASKED IF HE PERFORMED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE PRIOR TO FLIGHT AND HE STATED HE HAD NOT AND DIDN’T ASK HIS PASSENGER HOW MUCH THEY WEIGHED. THE DOCUMENTS PRESENT WERE A PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) THAT HE HAD PURCHASED ON EBAY, PILOT LOG AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS USING THE POH MANUAL FOR PERFORMANCE PLANNING. IT WAS NOTED TYPED VALUES ADDED FOR THE AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATIONS. INSPECTORS DISCOVERED AN AS WEIGHED WEIGHT AND BALANCE FORM IN THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS POINTED OUT TO THE PILOT THAT THE AS WEIGHED WEIGHT AND BALANCE SHOWED AN AIRCRAFT EMPTY WEIGHT OF 1531 POUNDS AND NOT THE 1280 POUNDS THAT WAS TYPED INTO THE POH. THE ONLY ENTRY IN THE PILOT LOGBOOK WAS 0.9 REFRESHER TRAINING ON 04/30/2022. IT WAS NOTED THE LAST ANNUAL WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON JUNE 25, 2015.
THE PILOT’S 3RD CLASS MEDICAL PERFORMED ON 04/12/2022 WEIGHT WAS 228 LBS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FULL FUEL AND THE PASSENGER WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 250 IF NOT MORE.
THE PILOT CONCEDED THAT BASED ON THE INFORMATION PRESENTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVERWEIGHT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.