What happened
Following a hunting trip, the pilot was preparing to depart for another location. Prior to departure, the pilot agreed to a request to allow a camera to be mounted in the takeoff area to film the departure. The pilot chose to use the taxiway for this purpose, and the camera was positioned in the middle of the taxiway.
After taking off over the camera, the pilot turned the aircraft back toward the airport, flying across the field at a relatively low altitude. The aircraft then entered a steep climbing turn. According to a witness, the pilot executed a one-half roll to the right into an upside-down position, followed by a turn that brought the aircraft back down parallel to the large runway. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed on the runway and caught fire. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
During the investigation, no pre-impact mechanical problems were identified.