The pilot stated that this was his third passenger carrying flight of the day and he determined his takeoff weight was about 146 pounds below max gross weight for the Van’s RV-6.
For the takeoff from the grass strip in Imperial, Nebraska, he elected not to use flaps or the full length of the runway, leaving about 100-200 feet behind him.
During the takeoff roll, he had the sense that the roll was taking longer than normal, and he began to be concerned about powerlines at the end of the runway.
When about 10 to 25 feet above the ground, he began a shallow bank turn to the right. Immediately after starting the turn, he flew over a corn field and experienced a loss of lift.
The airplane hit the corn field, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash, while the passenger had serious injuries.
The pilot noted that he listened to the density altitude reported on the Automated Weather Observing System for a nearby airport but did not process the effects it would have on the accident flight. The density altitude was about 6,184 feet.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight performance planning and his decision not to utilize all available runway during high density altitude operations which led to an inflight loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain.
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This July 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I make intersection takeoffs all the time. Know your equipment, know what makes it fly.
One of the first things my instructor taught me when I started flying lessons, was to use every inch of available runway and I’ve always done it.
And there is a 5000 ft runway, paved available. Had to be around 90 degrees F. Grass runway, whats the old saying about the 3 useless things to a pilot?