What happened
During a local fire reconnaissance mission, an aircraft entered a descent into the ground while transitioning from takeoff to its initial climb phase. Eyewitness accounts indicated that although the aircraft successfully became airborne, it failed to gain altitude. The plane continued along the runway path in a nose-up attitude while remaining within ground effect, eventually striking terrain approximately 600 feet southeast of the runway's departure end.
Environmental conditions at the time of the accident were extreme, with an ambient temperature of approximately 107 degrees Fahrenheit and a calculated density altitude of 5,878 feet mean sea level.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft revealed that the flaps were set to the 30-degree position, a setting that matched both the flap actuator position and the cockpit indicator. This configuration deviated from the aircraft flight manual, which mandates a 10-degree flap setting for standard takeoff operations.
An examination of the combined flap/gear selector valve showed that both the gear and flap selector valves were bent, though they remained functional. Notably, the stop-pin on the flap selector lever was found to be missing. While no fluid leaks were detected during bench testing, the improper flap configuration was a significant factor. Investigations into both engines found no mechanical abnormalities that would have hindered normal flight operations.