Single-Engine Airplane Strikes Trees After Takeoff from Grass Airstrip

Accident Details

A pilot of a single-engine airplane reported that he took off from a remote grass airstrip. The airstrip had 80-foot-tall pine trees along both sides. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot heard a bang, and the airplane veered to the right. Despite the pilot's attempts to correct the flight path, the airplane descended and struck pine trees approximately 300 feet east of the departure end of the airstrip. The pilot was able to extract himself from the cockpit before the airplane was consumed by a post-accident fire.

Post-Accident Inspection

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a county sheriff examined the control cables of the airplane. They found all control cables to be connected and continuous between the flight control surfaces and the cockpit controls.