Accident Details
On November 11, 2018, about 1314 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registration N52737, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground during the initial climb after takeoff from Cannon Creek Airpark (15FL), Lake City, Florida. The private pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, tricycle gear airplane was manufactured in 1989. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360 series, 200-horsepower engine, equipped with a two-bladed McCauley propeller.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on August 20, 2015. He reported 3,583 total hours of flight experience at that time.
Passenger and Witness Accounts
The right front seat passenger stated that as soon as they took off, he knew something was wrong because the airplane was not climbing very fast. He thought the airplane was going to touch back down on the runway when he noticed the airplane's nose going "up and down." The airplane made several nose-up and nose-down oscillations before going to the left side of the runway and contacting tree tops. The airplane then impacted the ground and cartwheeled.
The pilot stated that he remembered the takeoff roll. He stated he was "having difficulty getting the airplane in the air." The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital several days later.
A witness, parked on the side of the runway to watch the airplane taking off, observed the pilot perform a preflight engine run-up and the airplane begin departure on runway 27, a 2,600 ft-long turf runway. The wind was a right quartering tailwind at an estimated velocity of 8 to 10 mph. He thought the pilot "forced" the airplane off the ground and it immediately began "oscillations." When the airplane appeared near stall speed, the nose lowered and would then raise again, which repeated until the airplane contacted tree tops. Each time the airplane oscillated, it resulted in a lower altitude.
Another witness, also a pilot, watched the airplane during takeoff. He stated that it appeared the accident pilot had "pulled" the airplane off the ground too early, and he watched as the airplane "porpoised" three to four times down the runway while flying at or near stall speed. The witness further described that there was no change in the engine's sound throughout the takeoff, and it appeared to be running well the entire time.
Examination
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane's wings sustained buckling and tears. The left main landing gear collapsed. The fuselage had buckling along its length aft to the elevator. The rudder was undamaged.