Incident Narrative
During the takeoff roll, after raising the tail, the pilot stated the airplane "darted" to the left. He applied full right rudder but decided to continue the takeoff. The airplane subsequently traveled off the left side of the runway. It became airborne momentarily, then the left wing collided with trees situated 10 to 12 feet above ground level. Following this collision, the pilot attempted to return to the runway. However, the airplane descended and impacted the runway edge with the left main landing gear. This impact caused the left wheel to separate from the aircraft. The airplane then traveled across the runway, departed the right side, and entered a 25-foot deep ditch, where it came to rest.
Post-Crash Examination
A post-crash examination of the cockpit, conducted by the pilot, revealed that the right rudder trim was disengaged from its normal fully engaged position intended for takeoff.