What happened
During a local skydiving excursion, an aircraft departed from a grass runway heading north. As the plane began its initial climb, the aircraft entered a very steep angle of attack. Witnesses among the jumpers observed the pilot making frantic movements with the elevator trim wheel located on the right side of the seat. The aircraft subsequently struck trees and terrain roughly 250 yards east of the runway.
The pilot noted that the flight encountered a dust devil and that the altitude was insufficient to recover from the resulting disturbance. While the pilot reported experiencing extreme turbulence with northerly winds of 6 to 8 knots, the closest weather station recorded calm winds and clear skies.
Investigation into the aircraft's configuration revealed significant discrepancies regarding weight and capacity. The takeoff weight was recorded at 9,118.05 lbs, which exceeded the 8,000 pounds maximum gross weight specified in the AFM. Furthermore, the center of gravity was calculated at 161.92 inches, exceeding the aft limit of 152.2 inches. Although a cockpit placard restricted the aircraft to nine passengers, the flight carried 21 jumpers. The pilot maintained that skydivers did not fall under the passenger limit defined by the placard.
Findings
Post-accident analysis indicated that the overweight condition and an aft center of gravity were critical factors in the accident. The aircraft was operating significantly above its maximum allowable weight and beyond its aft CG limit, which can lead to abnormal stick forces and unrecoverable flight attitudes during takeoff.