Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

According to several witnesses, the airplane took off, and at approximately 50 feet, appeared to "hang in the air." The airplane "fell" out of the sky, impacting the tarmac, adjacent to the departure runway. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report submitted by the pilot, he was planning on a soft field takeoff procedure and had selected full flaps (30 degrees). The Aviat Aircraft airplane flight manual recommends 30 degrees of flaps for a high performance takeoff. The pilot did not recall anything unusual during the departure roll and did not report any mechanical anomalies. The right wing was bent up at midspan and crumpled. The fuselage, and firewall was wrinkled, the engine was crushed aft and the propeller was broken. the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the departure, resulting in an inadvertent stall.