LEESBURG, FL, USA
N18904
Ryan ST-A
The pilot departed from a private grass strip and the airplane struck a 5 foot tall fence at the departure end of the runway. According to the pilot, the airplane 'acted as if it was getting full power,' and the gauges showed everything was 'okay.' After lifting off the airplane struck a fence, flipped over, and nosed over in a cow pasture.
On May 9, 1999, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Ryan ST-A, N18904, registered to a private individual, impacted with a fence during takeoff from a private airstrip near Leesburg, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airline transport-rated pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time. The airplane was taking off from a private grass strip and struck a 5-foot-tall fence at the departure end of the runway. According to the pilot, "...did not accelerate/obtain adequate take off speed. Hit fence at end of runway [and] flipped over." There were no discrepancies found with either the airframe or the engine. According to the Lake County Sheriff's report, the pilot told a deputy, "...the plane acted as if it was getting full power, but the gauges advised everything was okay...as he lifted off the plane caught the fence and flipped over landing upside down in a cow pasture."
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the fence.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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