What happened
A commercial certificated pilot was conducting a personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, departing from a beach used for set-net fishing. The takeoff run was initiated between a creek and several set-net ropes located on the beach, spanning a distance of approximately 550 feet.
As the tailwheel-equipped airplane lifted off and reached an altitude of about 10 feet, the pilot felt a tug on the tail of the aircraft. The pilot realized that the tailwheel had snagged one of the ropes. This caused the airplane to pitch nose down, leading to a collision with the ground and a nosed-over position. The aircraft sustained structural damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
Following the accident, it was determined that when the tailwheel snagged the initial rope, the force pulled an adjacent rope upward. This secondary movement caused the main landing gear to become entangled in the fishing ropes.