KOLB FIRESTAR — McAlpin, FL

What happened

The pilot of an unregistered airplane was taking off when the accident occurred. There were no witnesses to the accident; however, one witness watched as the pilot started his takeoff roll. As the airplane passed his hangar, he could no longer see the airplane but he heard a decrease in the engine noise that he attributed to the pilot aborting the takeoff, as if the power was reduced to idle. He went inside for a few minutes before deciding to drive down the runway and see if the pilot needed any help. He did not see the pilot or the airplane. Later in the evening, he walked down the runway again and located the airplane suspended about 50 ft high in the treetops.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it was inverted and hanging from the trees by the left main landing gear. About 4 ft of the left outer wing and the rudder displayed damage consistent with their contact with tree limbs. The engine, cabin, and propeller were intact and unremarkable. An engine test run was attempted, and the engine started immediately when the key was turned to start. The engine ran smoothly and ran up to high rpm without any hesitation or other problems noted. Flight control continuity was established to all flight controls. Given the lack of witness information or other more-detailed descriptions of the takeoff, along with the lack mechanical issues found during the examination of the wreckage, it could not be determined why the airplane came to rest in the trees adjacent to the runway during the attempted takeoff.

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