Whidbey Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Langley, Washington 98260
Thursday, July 2, 1998 16:00 PDT

The pilot reported that he had departed with full fuel tanks. The pilot stated that during the takeoff he noted a 'perceived lack of power.' The pilot reported two reasons for this, (1) he had been flying a larger aircraft with more power, and (2) he and his passenger were fairly heavy. The pilot flew to another airstrip and set up for a touch-and-go landing. The pilot stated that the approach was a little high and the landing was a little long. The pilot remembers adding power and retracting the flaps for the takeoff, but does not recall any events after this point. A witness reported that the aircraft was taking off when the nose of the airplane dropped and descended into the trees. Post-crash inspection of the airplane did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction. The weight and balance was calculated for the initial take off and for the take off from the second location. In both cases, the gross weight of the airplane was exceeded by approximately 55 pounds and 19 pounds respectively. During the on-site documentation, the carburetor heat was found partially on.

Clearance from an object was not maintained. The pilot's lack of recent experience in the type of aircraft, improper use of carburetor heat and exceeding the gross weight of the airplane were factors.