N6107P

On October 14, 2000, at 1302 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6107P, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain during initial climb after takeoff from a private airstrip near Manhattan, Kansas. The runway is oriented in a predominantly north/south direction, and is about 1600 feet in length. The takeoff was executed to the north. The 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The flight was being conducted for the purpose of relocating the aircraft so that maintenance could be performed. The pilot was seriously injured and the one passenger received minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to the Phillip Billard Municipal Airport, Topeka, Kansas.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a postaccident examination of the accident scene. No anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition were found with respect to the aircraft. The grass strip runway was found to have 3-4 inch long grass. The length of the runway was found to be about 0.3 miles long by driving its length with an automobile.

The FAA secured a videotape of the accident flight. The videotape shows that during the takeoff roll the aircraft tail was drug along the runway twice. After initially becoming airborne, the aircraft settled back onto the runway before becoming airborne again. The airplane started an increasingly steep bank to the right before contacting the trees at the departure end of the runway.

In a written statement, the pilot said, "We took off down runway-900-ft-hit ruts airplane bounced into air-held nose down to build airspeed-ro[t]ated to late hit trees." In his written report, the pilot listed no mechanical malfunction. In the report, the pilot listed his flight experience in this make and model of aircraft as "None".