Event
A Cessna 172N airplane was being used for a short-field takeoff from runway 19. The pilot rotated the aircraft approximately 1,300 feet from the approach end of the runway. During the initial climb, the airplane impacted the tops of 40-foot-tall trees. The aircraft then came to rest inverted, suspended in a tree. The pilot experienced no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Performance Data
Interpolation of the Takeoff Distance Chart from the Cessna 172N Pilot's Operating Handbook showed that at a weight of 2,100 pounds, pressure altitude of 1,000 feet, temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, and a tailwind component of 5 knots, the calculated takeoff distance required for a dry, grass runway was 1,685 feet.
Weather
Winds reported at an airport 10 miles to the northwest were from 340 degrees at 6 knots.