Landing and Ice Accumulation
After the aircraft landed, slush was observed to have accumulated under the wings and lower aft fuselage and was freezing. The aircraft was parked with the tail facing the sun, but none of the airport personnel noticed whether the sun had melted the ice.
Airport Closure
The pilot indicated he would return by 1630. When the airport manager was preparing to leave at 1715, the pilot had not yet returned. Ice refroze on the runway. The airport manager notified the Flight Service Station (FSS) and left a message on the phone answering machine that the airport was closed. Additionally, to discourage operation on the icy runway, he did not turn on the runway lights.
Departure and Crash
The pilot returned at 1900 and elected to make a night departure. He reported that during takeoff, the aircraft lifted off but would not continue climbing. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft collided with trees and the roof of a building, then crashed and burned.
Wreckage Examination
An examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical problem.
Weather Observations
Another pilot noted a layer of frost on the leading edge of his aircraft's wings and elected not to fly. He believed that there was frost on N36791.