Accident Details
During a takeoff attempt on a grass runway, an aircraft collided with the ground. The pilot, who had low flight time, was operating the aircraft for the first time on a grass surface without an instructor present. The aircraft was rotated prematurely, resulting in a nose-high attitude.
Witness Accounts
According to one witness, the aircraft was "behind the power curve" from the moment of takeoff until the crash. The pilot's husband, who observed the accident from across the airport, noted that the aircraft was moving slower than he expected. An agricultural pilot who witnessed the event stated that the aircraft climbed at an increasingly steep angle until it became vertical, then executed a wing-over (hammerhead) maneuver, after which it dove straight into the ground and caught fire.