What happened
During the initial climb following takeoff from a private airstrip, an aircraft descended into terrain. The flight occurred approximately one hour after sunset under dark night conditions. The pilot and four passengers had boarded the aircraft after waiting for two other airplanes to depart the field.
As part of a standard departure procedure intended for noise abatement and to avoid upsloping terrain to the left, the pilot executed a right bank. During this maneuver, the aircraft collided with gradually upsloping terrain and came to rest in an upright position. The pilot reported that there was no perceived loss of engine power during the event.
Findings
- The pilot had a total of 10 hours of night flying experience.
- The accident occurred during the initial climb phase.
- The maneuver performed was a standard departure procedure for the location.