Accident Sequence
The airplane departed from a runway and, according to witness reports, never climbed beyond 150 to 200 feet above ground level. One witness stated that the rotation and initial climb appeared normal until the aircraft reached approximately 100 feet. At that point, the airplane began to pitch nose-up until the witness could clearly see the tops of the wings. The airplane then rolled to the right and descended vertically. It collided with a three-story commercial office building located about 2,000 feet from the departure end of the runway. A post-impact fire partially consumed the airplane.
Witness Observations
Multiple witnesses provided accounts of the flight path. The description of a normal rotation followed by an excessive nose-up attitude and subsequent roll to the right was consistent among those who observed the event. No other details regarding the airplane's behavior were reported.
Recordings Analysis
An audiocassette re-recording from the airport noise-monitoring site was examined to document any engine or propeller sounds audible during the takeoff. Additionally, a video recording recovered from the accident aircraft was analyzed. The video began as the aircraft was taking the runway for departure and appeared to continue uninterrupted until the crash. The audio track of the video was also reviewed for engine and propeller sounds.
Engine rotational speed (rpm) was derived from both the video audio track and the noise-monitoring recording. The video-based engine speeds ranged between 2,250 and 2,430 rpm. The noise-monitoring station data indicated engine speeds starting at 2,750 rpm and decreasing to 2,510 rpm. Directly above the monitoring station, there was no alteration in the measured frequency due to the Doppler shift. No dramatic changes were observed in the frequencies associated with the aircraft's engine.
Engine Examination
A post-accident examination of the engine did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction.