Event Details
A chief pilot for a flight school reported that a renter pilot had made an emergency landing in a cow pasture after the accident airplane ran out of fuel. The airplane sat unattended in the field over the weekend. The chief pilot and a mechanic from the school assessed the damage and found none. The pilot then planned to transport the airplane back to the airport.
The pilot added fuel and performed a preflight and control check with no noted discrepancies. The airplane was moved to a rough dirt road, where the pilot measured the available takeoff distance as approximately 1,500 feet.
Takeoff and Loss of Control
The pilot reported that the takeoff and initial climb seemed normal, but shortly after liftoff, the airplane began turning left. He applied right rudder and aileron but could not stop the turn. The airspeed was in the 50-knot range. At about 35 to 40 feet above ground level, the airplane began to settle while maintaining an 18- to 20-degree left bank. The stall warning indicator did not activate at any time.
The left wing tip then impacted the ground, followed by the nose of the airplane. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the winds alternated from calm to light and variable at 1 to 2 knots at the time of the accident.
Postaccident Examination
A postcrash examination revealed that the flaps, ailerons, and rudders operated normally. No mechanical discrepancies were found with any airframe or engine system.