What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
T47 aka finney field, is a private airstrip outside Sherman, TX. Property line lays next to hwy 82, which has a slightly higher elevation than the grass runway 36 when departing to the south. This area also has five hangars located on the right side.
There is a dirt road that leads to the hangars from the highway entrance which is approximately 12 feet wide. Centerline of the runway from the edge of the hangar hard top is approximately 61 feet, which includes the dirt road of 12 feet, with the runway itself being approximately 33 feet wide.
On this fourth of July 2024, multiple families were gathered around the hangars grilling and watching fireworks. The pilot has completed multiple take offs and landings that day. On this particular take off, the aircraft had past mid field point and was still accelerating for takeoff. One of the hangars tenants started to move their aircraft to the hangar hard top.
Pilot saw an aircraft being moved by hand by the hangars and as a precaution drifted more to the left side of the runway 36, where there is more grass. This uncalculated maneuver caused the aircraft to slow down, which in turn caused take off speed not to be achieved at the end of the runway. Instead of aborting takeoff, because he had past mid field, the pilot elected to continue thinking that he might can make up lost speed. Then at the end of the runway 36 he was faced with two choices. One, to hit the fence head on while on the ground or two, pull pitch and get air born and try to avoid the fence. With not enough air speed to complete a proper takeoff, the landing gear struck the fence which in turn caused the nose of the aircraft to pitch down and strike the road hwy 82. Aircraft slid on the road to the other side coming to an abrupt stop in the ditch.
As the FAA filed it
T47 AKA FINNEY FIELD, IS A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP OUTSIDE SHERMAN, TX. PROPERTY LINE LAYS NEXT TO HWY 82, WHICH HAS A SLIGHTLY HIGHER ELEVATION THAN THE GRASS RUNWAY 36 WHEN DEPARTING TO THE SOUTH. THIS AREA ALSO HAS FIVE HANGARS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
THERE IS A DIRT ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE HANGARS FROM THE HIGHWAY ENTRANCE WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET WIDE. CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE HANGAR HARD TOP IS APPROXIMATELY 61 FEET, WHICH INCLUDES THE DIRT ROAD OF 12 FEET, WITH THE RUNWAY ITSELF BEING APPROXIMATELY 33 FEET WIDE.
ON THIS FOURTH OF JULY 2024, MULTIPLE FAMILIES WERE GATHERED AROUND THE HANGARS GRILLING AND WATCHING FIREWORKS. THE PILOT HAS COMPLETED MULTIPLE TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS THAT DAY. ON THIS PARTICULAR TAKE OFF, THE AIRCRAFT HAD PAST MID FIELD POINT AND WAS STILL ACCELERATING FOR TAKEOFF. ONE OF THE HANGARS TENANTS STARTED TO MOVE THEIR AIRCRAFT TO THE HANGAR HARD TOP.
PILOT SAW AN AIRCRAFT BEING MOVED BY HAND BY THE HANGARS AND AS A PRECAUTION DRIFTED MORE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 36, WHERE THERE IS MORE GRASS. THIS UNCALCULATED MANEUVER CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOW DOWN, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED TAKE OFF SPEED NOT TO BE ACHIEVED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. INSTEAD OF ABORTING TAKEOFF, BECAUSE HE HAD PAST MID FIELD, THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THINKING THAT HE MIGHT CAN MAKE UP LOST SPEED. THEN AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY 36 HE WAS FACED WITH TWO CHOICES. ONE, TO HIT THE FENCE HEAD ON WHILE ON THE GROUND OR TWO, PULL PITCH AND GET AIR BORN AND TRY TO AVOID THE FENCE. WITH NOT ENOUGH AIR SPEED TO COMPLETE A PROPER TAKEOFF, THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE FENCE WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH DOWN AND STRIKE THE ROAD HWY 82. AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE ROAD TO THE OTHER SIDE COMING TO AN ABRUPT STOP IN THE DITCH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.