What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acccording to pilot's statement:
The day began when my friends showed up at my house for a flight. After arriving I conducted my preflight inspection, calculated a weight and balance, and checked the weather. Once the flight was planned we boarded the aircraft and after a warm up conducted an engine runup. We departed 3KY9 and flew to kfft where we performed a touch and go and a full stop taxi back and takeoff. After departing kfft we flew to 31KY at which point we circled the field twice and performed a low approach to inspect the field conditions. After completing the approach I conducted a normal soft field landing and parked the aircraft to visit with friends. After the visit we boarded the aircraft for departure at which point I conducted another run up and configured the aircraft for a soft field takeoff. I was taking off from runway 34, at that time the winds were observed to be light and variable. The aircraft was configured with flaps 25. I began my takeoff roll and once my airspeed began to increase I rotated at about 65 KTS. Once airborne and clear of all obstacles I accelerated to vx and retracted my flaps for departure. Upon clearing the ridge and trees parallel to the runway, in my opinion I encountered a sudden windshear that caused a reduction in lift at which point I reduced my pitch attitude in attempt to regain lift but continued to descend towards the terrain, at which point I was unable at arrest my descent and impacted the terrain. All three passengers evacuated the aircraft with minor inquires.
Klex METAR:
Klex 052054Z 23013G24KT 10SM SCT060 10/M01 A2993 rmk AO2 pk wnd 20028/2031
SLP138 T01001011 56012
As the FAA filed it
ACCCORDING TO PILOT'S STATEMENT:
THE DAY BEGAN WHEN MY FRIENDS SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE FOR A FLIGHT. AFTER ARRIVING I CONDUCTED MY PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, CALCULATED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE, AND CHECKED THE WEATHER. ONCE THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED WE BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND AFTER A WARM UP CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUNUP. WE DEPARTED 3KY9 AND FLEW TO KFFT WHERE WE PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO AND A FULL STOP TAXI BACK AND TAKEOFF. AFTER DEPARTING KFFT WE FLEW TO 31KY AT WHICH POINT WE CIRCLED THE FIELD TWICE AND PERFORMED A LOW APPROACH TO INSPECT THE FIELD CONDITIONS. AFTER COMPLETING THE APPROACH I CONDUCTED A NORMAL SOFT FIELD LANDING AND PARKED THE AIRCRAFT TO VISIT WITH FRIENDS. AFTER THE VISIT WE BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT FOR DEPARTURE AT WHICH POINT I CONDUCTED ANOTHER RUN UP AND CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. I WAS TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 34, AT THAT TIME THE WINDS WERE OBSERVED TO BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH FLAPS 25. I BEGAN MY TAKEOFF ROLL AND ONCE MY AIRSPEED BEGAN TO INCREASE I ROTATED AT ABOUT 65 KTS. ONCE AIRBORNE AND CLEAR OF ALL OBSTACLES I ACCELERATED TO VX AND RETRACTED MY FLAPS FOR DEPARTURE. UPON CLEARING THE RIDGE AND TREES PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY, IN MY OPINION I ENCOUNTERED A SUDDEN WINDSHEAR THAT CAUSED A REDUCTION IN LIFT AT WHICH POINT I REDUCED MY PITCH ATTITUDE IN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN LIFT BUT CONTINUED TO DESCEND TOWARDS THE TERRAIN, AT WHICH POINT I WAS UNABLE AT ARREST MY DESCENT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. ALL THREE PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INQUIRES.
KLEX METAR:
KLEX 052054Z 23013G24KT 10SM SCT060 10/M01 A2993 RMK AO2 PK WND 20028/2031
SLP138 T01001011 56012
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.