Accident Details
On June 17, 2020, at about 1800 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, registration N25449, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and impacted the ground after takeoff near McAlpin, Florida. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection and an engine runup before departure with no discrepancies noted. After the runup, he asked his passenger if he wanted to follow rudder control inputs by placing his feet on the rudder pedals, which the passenger agreed to. The pilot briefed the passenger on the takeoff profile, taxied into position, and applied full throttle with 10° of flaps extended. During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the airspeed indicator was "not alive," but he continued, expecting it to increase.
When the pilot saw the windsock about midway along the 2,600 ft long grass runway, the airspeed indicator showed about 45 knots, below the normal 50 knots. The pilot later reported considering aborting but elected to continue and rotated at 50 knots. The airplane remained in ground effect, and he pushed the yoke to increase airspeed while flying through a gap in trees past the departure end. The airplane climbed at 50 to 55 knots to about 35 ft above ground level, but subsequently struck trees, stalled, and impacted the ground, substantially damaging the wings and fuselage. After exiting, the pilot noted smoke from a small fire in the engine compartment, later attributed to fuel from the carburetor that broke off during impact. The fire was extinguished by the fire department.
Witness Observations
A pilot-rated witness at the airport reported hearing no discrepancies during the engine runup. He heard the takeoff roll and noted the airplane was still on the ground when it was two-thirds down the runway. He thought the pilot should have aborted and said the engine sounded like "it was not revving like it should." He believed the airplane became airborne at the very end of the runway to clear a 3 ft fence/sign, then continued in ground effect and landed among trees. The witness added that the engine was running smoothly but not developing full power.
Postaccident Findings
Following the accident, the pilot initially questioned whether the passenger had his feet on the brakes. The passenger confirmed to the NTSB that his feet were never on the rudder pedals and were on the floor for the entire flight. The passenger indicated he was briefed to "don't touch the pedals and keep your feet on the floor."
During a postaccident phone interview, the pilot was asked if he recalled the magneto decrease during the engine runup. He did not remember specifically but thinks that when he checked the first magneto he switched back to both, but when checking the other magneto, he may have failed to switch back to both. He added that he "thinks [he] took off on 1 magneto." He left the ignition key in the switch after exiting, but when he checked the next day, the key was on the floor.
A representative of the recovery company reported the ignition switch was in the OFF position two days after the accident. A total of 4 gallons of 100 low lead fuel were drained from each tank with no contaminants reported.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed extensive heat damage to the fuel metering and ignition systems, precluding operational testing. The No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve clearance was 0.002 inch greater than specified. No evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the engine assembly was noted.
Weight calculations based on the latest empty weight (1,188.0 pounds), pilot weight (173 pounds), passenger weight (230 pounds), and fuel drained (48 pounds) showed the airplane weight at engine start was about 31 pounds below maximum certificated takeoff gross weight.