Incident
The accident occurred while the airplane was departing from a dirt runway situated in mountainous terrain. The pilot initiated the takeoff roll and reported that the airplane appeared to have good acceleration and speed. As the airplane reached the departure end of the runway, it encountered trees. At that point, the stall warning buzzer was sounding. The pilot stated that he could not achieve sufficient climb performance to clear the trees, and the airplane subsequently struck them.
Pilot's Account
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane's speed seemed adequate. He noted that when the airplane was over the trees at the end of the runway, the stall warning buzzer activated. The pilot further stated that he was unable to make the airplane clear the trees, implying a lack of climb capability.
Runway and Terrain
The runway was a dirt strip located in mountainous terrain. The elevation of the airport is 1,230 feet above mean sea level. The departure end of the runway was bordered by trees, which the airplane struck.
Weather and Density Altitude
At the time of the accident, the pilot reported the temperature as 85°F and the barometric pressure as 30.00 inches of mercury. Using these values, the density altitude at the airport was calculated to be approximately 3,080 feet. Density altitude is a performance parameter that indicates the effective altitude for aircraft performance; higher density altitude generally reduces lift and engine efficiency.
Official Report
The official accident investigation source includes the pilot's statement, the airport elevation, and the reported weather. No probable cause was stated in the source.