What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot of Cessna CE-177 cardinal taking off on 11L reported to the tower that he could not climb and needed to turn back. ATC gave permission to do what he needed. Pilot reported that his last memory was commencing a right turn, but neither the tower nor the one witness on the ground reported seeing that. They reported seeing a left turn commence.
Aircraft impacted the ground, left wingtip first, about 1500 feet past the end of the runway and about 900 feet to the left of the runway. The next ground impact signature was a propeller arc in the dirt and the propeller was next in the path of the accident sequence. The aircraft had scorpion tail separation, upper fuselage and wing section separated and engine partially separated, from the fuselage. Trajectory of accident sequence was just more than 90 degrees left of the runway heading.
The pilot reported that the accident flight was the first flight after extensive work on the aircraft, which included an annual inspection, engine overhauled and the installation of an engine monitoring system. Investigation on site confirmed tanks had significant amounts of fuel in them.
Further investigation at the aircraft salvage yard is needed to complete this investigation and this report will be amended when the investigation is completed.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT OF CESSNA CE-177 CARDINAL TAKING OFF ON 11L REPORTED TO THE TOWER THAT HE COULD NOT CLIMB AND NEEDED TO TURN BACK. ATC GAVE PERMISSION TO DO WHAT HE NEEDED. PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS LAST MEMORY WAS COMMENCING A RIGHT TURN, BUT NEITHER THE TOWER NOR THE ONE WITNESS ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING THAT. THEY REPORTED SEEING A LEFT TURN COMMENCE.
AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, LEFT WINGTIP FIRST, ABOUT 1500 FEET PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ABOUT 900 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE NEXT GROUND IMPACT SIGNATURE WAS A PROPELLER ARC IN THE DIRT AND THE PROPELLER WAS NEXT IN THE PATH OF THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SCORPION TAIL SEPARATION, UPPER FUSELAGE AND WING SECTION SEPARATED AND ENGINE PARTIALLY SEPARATED, FROM THE FUSELAGE. TRAJECTORY OF ACCIDENT SEQUENCE WAS JUST MORE THAN 90 DEGREES LEFT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER EXTENSIVE WORK ON THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH INCLUDED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, ENGINE OVERHAULED AND THE INSTALLATION OF AN ENGINE MONITORING SYSTEM. INVESTIGATION ON SITE CONFIRMED TANKS HAD SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN THEM.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION AT THE AIRCRAFT SALVAGE YARD IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS INVESTIGATION AND THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED WHEN THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.