What happened
Shortly after initiating takeoff, the aircraft failed to achieve a climb gradient sufficient to clear obstacles, remaining below 50 feet above ground level. The flight path intersected with overhead utility lines located approximately 1.5 miles from the departure end of the runway, resulting in a collision.
The investigation
Subsequent inquiries by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed significant discrepancies regarding the aircraft's loading conditions. Investigators determined that the pilot had not performed a weight and balance calculation prior to flight. Furthermore, the pilot admitted to law enforcement deputies that he was unaware of the aircraft's empty weight, leading to an inability to verify if the loaded aircraft exceeded its maximum gross weight limits.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the aircraft's gross weight, which prevented adequate climb performance. The pilot's failure to compute the weight and balance, combined with a lack of knowledge regarding the empty weight, directly resulted in an overloaded condition that compromised the aircraft's ability to climb above 50 feet AGL after takeoff.