Accident Overview
On November 22, 2017, at 1253 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-12 airplane, registration N4040M, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with a truck trailer immediately after takeoff from an industrial truck yard near Dickinson, North Dakota. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger suffered minor injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight under visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The intended destination was Sloulin Field International Airport (ISN) in Williston, North Dakota.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that during the accident takeoff, as the airplane attempted to climb out of ground effect, it banked to the right, and the right-wing tip contacted the ground. The airplane continued to roll and came to rest on a truck trailer. He commented that the airplane might have encountered a wind gust, which contributed to a right wing stall. He did not perceive any anomalies with the airplane during the takeoff.
According to the pilot, the airplane was positioned at the east end of the truck yard to maximize the available takeoff area. He set two notches of flaps and executed a short-field takeoff procedure. The tail lifted off at about 30 knots, at which point he applied full flaps, causing the airplane to become airborne. Shortly afterward, the right wing dropped, possibly due to a gust of wind. He responded with full left aileron and full left rudder. While recovering from the right bank, he retracted the flaps from full (third notch) to one-half (second notch) and confirmed the throttle was full forward. At that time, the airplane tucked and turned sharply to the right.
Passenger Account
The passenger stated that the airplane was gaining speed during the takeoff run until it neared the west end of a maintenance building in the yard. About 10 to 15 feet above the ground, the airplane seemed to come to a "complete dead stop" and subsequently rolled to the right. The pilot recovered momentarily, but the airplane banked to the right again and ultimately impacted a truck trailer.
Witness Account
A witness reported that the airplane became airborne about 400 feet into the takeoff run. Shortly afterward, when the airplane was about 6 feet above ground level, the right wing dipped to 35 or 40 degrees of bank. The pilot corrected, but the airplane remained in a 20-degree right bank. At that point, the airplane started a more abrupt climb, then "snap rolled" to the right and impacted a truck trailer inverted. The witness described the airplane attitude as "significantly nose up" with an estimated pitch angle of about 15 degrees angle of attack. The right-wing tip was about 6 feet off the ground when the roll began. The engine sounded as if it came to full power at the beginning of the takeoff and did not vary; the witness perceived no engine issues.
Postaccident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the truck yard consisted of dirt and gravel. The portion of the yard used for the takeoff was rough and uneven, with an available takeoff distance of about 750 feet. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Flight control continuity was confirmed, including the wing flap control system. The cockpit flap handle appeared to be in the retracted (up) position at the time of examination, and the flaps were also retracted. However, the exact position of the wing flaps at the time of impact could not be determined.