ERA10CA469

According to a witness the airplane touched down and lifted off, but did not appear to gain much altitude. Near the end of the runway, the airplane wavered right and then left before the left wing struck the ground. As a result of the impact, the fuselage, left wing, firewall, and elevator incurred substantial damage. The pilot stated that he could not recall the events that transpired during the accident sequence; he reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

According to a witness, the accident airplane touched down over halfway down the up-sloped, 2,300-foot grass runway 27. It then transitioned to a takeoff, but during the climb, the airplane "wavered left and right" before the left wing struck the ground. The fuselage, left wing, firewall, and elevator incurred substantial damage. The pilot stated that he could not recall the events that transpired during the accident sequence, and did not report that there were any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. A review of the accident airplane's information manual revealed, under the conditions that existed at the time of the accident, that the landing and takeoff distance required was approximately 900 feet, and was based on the use of a "hard surface, level runway." The winds reported at an airport 11 miles to the southeast of the accident location were from 290 degrees at 10 knots.