DAVIS JOHN TR-4 — Denton, TX

What happened

Shortly after clearing the airplane for takeoff, the air traffic tower controller noticed that the airplane’s climb did not appear to be normal. The airplane appeared to descend, bank to the right, and then disappear behind a line of trees. The airplane impacted the ground near a set of power lines and a postcrash fire ensued. The pilot recalled little about the events leading up to the accident. He did report that the engine lost power. The postcrash fire consumed part of the cabin area and thermally damaged the engine’s electrical components, so an examination of the fire-damaged electronic ignition and fuel control systems could not be conducted. Further examination of the engine, airframe and other airplane systems failed to identify any preimpact abnormalities. A review of the airplane's records indicated that the pilot was having weight and balance issues with the airplane. The pilot had to add aft ballast to compensate for a nose-heavy condition. The reason for any potential loss of engine power and for the loss of control could not be determined.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.