MESA, AZ, USA
N94302
CESSNA T210L
THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED SETTLING TO THE RUNWAY AFTER INITIALLY BECOMING AIRBORNE. WITNESSES INDICATED THE AIRPLANE THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, BUT NEVER CLIMBED HIGHER THAN 50 FEET. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER GROSS WEIGHT. A SURVIVING PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 'STOL' EQUIPPED AND 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS WERE SELECTED FOR THE DEPARTURE. EXAMINATIN OF THE WRECKAGE CONFIRMED THE 20 DEG FLAP SETTING. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS SET FULL NOSE UP. THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 58 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT.
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE AIRPLANE CHECKLIST AND PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S POOR PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO COMPUTE THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT BEFORE TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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