What happened
During the takeoff roll at 50 knots, the windshield and side glass of the aircraft became fogged, resulting in a total loss of visibility for the pilot. The pilot reported sensing that the aircraft was drifting to the left and attempted to correct the path to the right without success. In response to the loss of visibility, the pilot retarded the throttle and began the engine shutdown procedure. The aircraft subsequently veered off the runway, where the left wing collided with tall brush and bushes. The aircraft then nosed over in soft mud and came to rest in an inverted position.
Post-accident examination of the scene showed tire marks starting at the approach end of runway 7, veering left off the runway for approximately 975 feet into the brush and mud. Additional marks were found in the mud leading to the overturned aircraft, where one propeller blade was buried.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the left outboard half of the wing was crushed aft, the right wingtip had separated, and the vertical stabilizer was displaced to the right. Weather reported at McGhee-Tyson Airport at 0653 indicated winds from 050 degrees at four knots, visibility of four statute miles in mist, and a temperature-dew point of 12 degrees Celsius.
An examination of the pilot's logbooks revealed that an endorsement for repeated solo flights less than 25 nautical miles had not been entered by a certified flight instructor. Additionally, there were no logbook entries signed by a certified flight instructor regarding flight training to or from Seymour Airpark, nor any records of takeoffs or landings performed at the field.