Cessna 150 N7948F Substantially Damaged in Takeoff Accident at Berry Hill Airport

Accident Overview and Initial Sequence of Events On October 16, 2016, at approximately 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150 airplane, registration N7948F, was substantially damaged when it impacted a field during takeoff from Berry Hill Airport (7GA7) in Stockbridge, Georgia. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was privately owned and operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which was destined for Cherokee County Airport (CNI) in Canton, Georgia. The pilot reported adding 10 gallons of aviation fuel to each wing tank, bringing each to approximately three-quarters full. He then taxied to his backyard in the fly-in community to pick up the passenger, a bag of clothes, and a small dog. After taxiing to runway 11 and conducting a normal engine runup, the pilot departed in calm wind. About halfway down the 3,000-foot runway, the pilot rotated, and the airplane began to climb. The pilot soon observed that the airplane was not climbing normally and became concerned about clearing the tree line approximately 500 feet off the departure end of the runway. He steered the airplane toward the shortest tree, hoping to make a controlled landing in the field beyond. The pilot recalled going over the tree but had no memory of subsequent events until waking in the hospital. A witness observed the takeoff and heard the engine making “popping” sounds during the climb. The pilot, wearing noise-cancelling headsets, reported hearing nothing abnormal during the brief flight.