What happened
The aircraft was operating from a short strip utilized by hunters and fishermen when it collided with a ditch located alongside the runway. During subsequent interviews, the pilot revealed that the aircraft was overloaded and positioned outside its center of gravity limits. The pilot had initially decided to abort the takeoff after passing his decision point; however, upon being advised of the ditch's presence, he resumed the takeoff but was unable to clear the obstacle.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the physical condition of the aircraft and the operational context of the flight. It was determined that the aircraft was significantly overloaded and out of its center of gravity envelope at the time of departure. This configuration critically degraded performance capabilities during the critical takeoff phase.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's decision to resume takeoff after passing the abort point despite knowing of the ditch, and the overloaded state of the aircraft which prevented adequate climb performance. The combination of excessive weight and improper balance resulted in an inability to clear the terrain obstacle.
Safety message
Pilots must ensure that weight and balance calculations are strictly adhered to before takeoff. Aborting a takeoff after passing the decision point is generally unsafe; if the runway length is insufficient for the loaded aircraft, the takeoff should not be initiated.