Accident Description
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain after takeoff. The accident occurred on a private airstrip located on the pilot's property.
Witness Account
A witness reported that the pilot took off from the airstrip at the back of his property for a short flight to "buzz" and fly over the house. The witness and another brother were standing at the house end of the airstrip watching. The takeoff appeared and sounded normal. The airplane banked to the right, and approximately halfway into the turn, the nose pointed straight down. For half a second, the entire plane was visible above the far treeline with the top of the plane and wingspan facing the witnesses squarely. It then fell straight down, disappearing into a neighboring cornfield, followed by a small crash sound and then silence.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, the wind was from 290 degrees at 9 knots, variable between 250 and 310 degrees. Visibility was 10 statute miles. The sky condition was few clouds at 3,800 feet. Temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, dew point was 4 degrees Celsius, and the altimeter setting was 30.07 inches of mercury.
On-Scene Investigation
An on-scene investigation revealed that both wing flaps were found retracted and the flap selector was at zero degrees. Fuel was present in the left wing fuel tank and in the carburetor. The right tank was found ruptured. Control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to each flight control surface and to the engine.
Engine and Propeller Examination
The engine produced a thumb compression at each cylinder, and both magnetos produced a spark at the end of each spark plug lead as the engine's crankshaft was rotated. The propeller exhibited chordwise scratches on the outboard section of one blade, while the other blade was found with a forward bend. No anomalies were detected with the airplane or engine.