Departure and Stall
On the second flight of the day, a private pilot with 450 hours of experience and a passenger departed from a private 2,200-foot-long by 50-foot-wide grass runway. The departure was conducted with a tailwind from runway 36. At approximately 300 feet above ground level, an observer reported that "the nose of the plane was too steep and the plane malfunctioned causing it to stall out and dive towards the ground."
Impact and Damage
The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude and came to rest upright in a grass field. The impact site was approximately 250 feet west and about 1,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. Examination of the propeller revealed damage consistent with engine power at the time of impact.
Weather Conditions
Around the time of the accident, weather observation facilities reported the following winds: at 1353, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, located about 8 nautical miles northwest of the site, reported wind from 150 degrees at 10 knots. At 1352, Drake Field Airport, located about 10 nautical miles southeast of the site, reported wind from 200 degrees at 7 knots.