Incident Summary
According to the pilot, several minutes after takeoff, the weather began to deteriorate with convective activity reported in the area. The sky turned black, and the pilot decided to divert to a nearby airport with a 4,000-foot long by 75-foot wide turf runway. As the pilot approached the runway, he could not determine where the approach end was located. The airplane approached the runway high and fast, and the pilot believed he would not be able to stop before reaching the end of the runway, so he aborted the landing. A witness reported that the airplane aborted the landing with less than one-quarter of the runway's total length remaining.
During the attempted climb-out, the pilot felt that the engine seemed less powerful but could not recall any specific abnormal indications. Without sufficient airspeed to climb above approaching trees, the pilot stalled the airplane into a pond. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and empennage.
Investigation Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the airplane following the accident and found no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Weather conditions reported at an airport 5 nautical miles southwest, around the time of the accident, included a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and a left quartering tailwind at 6 knots.