What happened
A student pilot arrived at the airport between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Because the aircraft lacked an electrical system, the airport manager assisted by hand-propping the engine to start the flight. After the engine was started, the manager went inside the airport building and did not observe the takeoff roll.
A witness driving eastbound toward the airport observed a yellow plane flying very low and traveling south as it crossed 195th Street. The witness noted that at the time the aircraft crossed the road, it was not trailing any smoke or flames. However, as the witness approached the crest of the hill on 195th Street, she observed black smoke originating from an area south of her position. Upon reaching the top of the hill near the end of the runway, the witness saw both black smoke and flames. The witness was unable to identify what was burning and initially believed someone might be burning debris.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage was conducted, which revealed no anomalies in the aircraft's condition.