Accident Overview
On a cross-country flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to Van Nuys, California, an aircraft made a fuel stop at Banning, California. After arrival, 45.1 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel were loaded into the aircraft's fuel tanks. The aircraft then taxied and departed on Runway 26, which is 5,200 feet long with an uphill gradient of 2.4 percent.
Accident Sequence
According to witnesses at the airport, the aircraft used approximately 4,200 feet of the runway during the ground run and never climbed more than 200 feet above ground level. During the climb, the aircraft slowly descended in a nose-high attitude while the wings oscillated slightly. A pilot who was driving on a highway parallel to the aircraft's flight path reported that the aircraft's ground speed gradually decayed below 55 mph as the nose rose higher and higher. The aircraft began a slight left turn, then collided with the top of a 40-foot-tall power pole. The aircraft came to rest on the driveway of a commercial building.
Findings
The aircraft was loaded 223 pounds over the maximum allowable gross weight. The density altitude at the time was 4,240 feet. No mechanical discrepancies were found with the airframe or engine.