What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Interviewed pilot on 9/6/23; pilot stated he did a thorough preflight with his passenger,privacy data omitted, and looked carefully at the wind conditions and the wind indicator that they have on their runway was vertical indicating no wind. Pilot elected to take off to the east, because that was the normal direction of favoring wind. Aircraft climbed quickly to 50 feet then would not climb further and began to settle back down. Pilot stated he did not want to push down at that point but did relax the stick a little bit, trying to accelerate, but it still settled into the trees. Pilot said he had run out of room to descend and accellerate, and the aircraft would not climb above trees. He stated that he has a good deal of horsepower for that airframe, an experimental super cub with a 215 HP. 0360, and pstol flaps. He did not feel that at any times there were any mechanical issues. Observations afterward indicated that above the tree tops was a south or southwest wind, causing him to have a quartering tailwind at that altitude, and corresponding loss of lift. Pilot said he was able to see his airspeed was below 30 mph. Before settling into trees.
As the FAA filed it
INTERVIEWED PILOT ON 9/6/23; PILOT STATED HE DID A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT WITH HIS PASSENGER,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND LOOKED CAREFULLY AT THE WIND CONDITIONS AND THE WIND INDICATOR THAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR RUNWAY WAS VERTICAL INDICATING NO WIND. PILOT ELECTED TO TAKE OFF TO THE EAST, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NORMAL DIRECTION OF FAVORING WIND. AIRCRAFT CLIMBED QUICKLY TO 50 FEET THEN WOULD NOT CLIMB FURTHER AND BEGAN TO SETTLE BACK DOWN. PILOT STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO PUSH DOWN AT THAT POINT BUT DID RELAX THE STICK A LITTLE BIT, TRYING TO ACCELERATE, BUT IT STILL SETTLED INTO THE TREES. PILOT SAID HE HAD RUN OUT OF ROOM TO DESCEND AND ACCELLERATE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE TREES. HE STATED THAT HE HAS A GOOD DEAL OF HORSEPOWER FOR THAT AIRFRAME, AN EXPERIMENTAL SUPER CUB WITH A 215 HP. 0360, AND PSTOL FLAPS. HE DID NOT FEEL THAT AT ANY TIMES THERE WERE ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES. OBSERVATIONS AFTERWARD INDICATED THAT ABOVE THE TREE TOPS WAS A SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST WIND, CAUSING HIM TO HAVE A QUARTERING TAILWIND AT THAT ALTITUDE, AND CORRESPONDING LOSS OF LIFT. PILOT SAID HE WAS ABLE TO SEE HIS AIRSPEED WAS BELOW 30 MPH. BEFORE SETTLING INTO TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.