Overview
A student pilot reported that shortly after the airplane rotated during takeoff, he noticed the flaps were extended. About 20 feet above the ground, he retracted the flaps from 25 degrees to zero degrees. Simultaneously, he encountered wind that pushed the airplane toward the ground and left of the centerline. Once the airplane settled on the ground, he attempted to correct back to the runway center but the airplane veered off the runway to the left and impacted a ditch.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the engine mount. According to the student pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport, revealed that about 5 minutes after the accident the wind was 280 degrees true at 6 knots with gusts to 14 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear. The airplane landed on runway 27.
Relevant Guidance
The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses retraction of the flaps and states in part: "Depending on the airplane's altitude and airspeed, it may be wise to retract the flaps intermittently in small increments to allow time for the airplane to accelerate progressively as they are being raised. A sudden and complete retraction of the flaps could cause a loss of lift resulting in the airplane settling into the ground."