Accident Overview
A commercial pilot had filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan for a cross-country personal flight departing under dark night visual meteorological conditions (VMC). A witness at the departure airport reported that the airplane sounded and appeared normal during takeoff, lifting off about halfway down runway 24 with ample remaining runway. The witness lost sight of the airplane as airport hangars obstructed the view and did not observe the accident.
Investigation Findings
The wreckage was located approximately 2,400 feet southeast of the departure end of runway 24. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted in a nose-down attitude with a left bank of about 20°. A left turn during departure was consistent with the airport's published instrument departure procedures for obstacle avoidance, which required an immediate climbing left turn while proceeding to a navigational beacon located about 7 miles east-northeast of the airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot had reportedly been awake for about 15 hours and was conducting the departure near the time he normally went to sleep; therefore, he may have been fatigued around the time of the event. However, given the available evidence, it was impossible to determine the role of fatigue in this event. Although the circumstances of the accident are consistent with spatial disorientation, there was insufficient evidence to determine whether it may have played a role in the sequence of events.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain after takeoff during dark night conditions.