What happened
The pilot reported that all systems were functioning normally during the initial phase of flight, just after takeoff. The aircraft was configured with twenty-five degrees of flaps extended as it climbed. Upon reaching an altitude of approximately 300 feet above ground level (AGL), the airplane began to descend and could not maintain its altitude. In response to the loss of climb performance, the pilot initiated a landing approach straight ahead toward an open field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with the terrain.
The investigation
A post-crash inspection of the airframe was conducted to determine the cause of the incident. The examination revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction that would have contributed to the loss of performance. However, weight and balance calculations performed on the data indicated that the aircraft had exceeded its maximum gross weight limit prior to departure.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the excessive weight of the airplane at takeoff. By exceeding the maximum gross weight, the aircraft lacked the necessary performance margins to climb effectively after leaving the runway. This condition directly resulted in the inability to maintain altitude at low altitude, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing in a field where terrain contact occurred.