Accident Overview
A fire reconnaissance airplane descended into the ground during the takeoff-initial climb phase of a local flight. The aircraft became airborne but did not climb, remaining in a nose-up attitude within ground effect. It continued along the runway before impacting terrain approximately 600 feet southeast from the departure end of the runway.
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported that the airplane became airborne but was not climbing. It traveled down the runway in a nose-up attitude while in ground effect until it struck the ground.
Environmental Conditions
The ambient temperature at the time was about 107 degrees Fahrenheit. The density altitude was calculated at 5,878 feet mean sea level.
Aircraft Examination
On-scene examination found the flaps in the 30-degree position, which corresponded to the flap actuator position. The cockpit indicator for the flaps also showed a 30-degree extension. A subsequent bench test of the combined flap/gear selector valve was conducted. During initial inspection, both the gear selector and the flap selector valves were bent but otherwise operational. The "stop-pin" on the flap selector lever was missing. No fluid leakage was observed during the test. Examination of both engines revealed no abnormalities that would prevent normal operations.
Flight Manual Specifications
The aircraft flight manual specifies that flaps should be set at 1/4 down (10 degrees) for a normal takeoff.