Cessna 320E N227DG

A witness stated that he observed the airplane land and fuel at the airport's self service station. The airplane was taxied to the far end displaced threshold area of runway 9; a published 3,000-foot long turf runway. Another witness stated that the engines sounded normal for takeoff. The airplane veered about 100 feet toward the north from the runway's centerline during the initial takeoff climb. The airplane then impacted a telephone pole, while the airplane's vertical stabilizer collided with telephone cables at an estimated height of 25 feet above the ground. The airplane came to a stop and impacted the ground flat. A fire immediately erupted. All on board where able to exit the airplane, two required assistance. The pilot stated that the front seat passenger fueled the airplane and he did not know which tanks were fueled and the amounts. He estimated the weights of the passenger and fuel. He has flown out of that airport before with 4 passengers during that time of the year. He believed the temperature was about 93-95 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the accident. He recalls, during the takeoff, that the airplane lifted, climbed, and then stopped climbing. It started sinking, it was not gaining altitude. He elected to select the landing gear up to clean the airplane. He could not recall a loss of engine power. A wreckage examination was conducted by a representative of the Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM), and a representative of the Cessna Aircraft Company with FAA oversight. Examination of both engines did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation and production of rated power. The four magnetos were examined at the TCM facility with NTSB oversight. Due to the thermal damage to the right engine's magnetos an operational bench test was not possible. With the exception of the thermal damage, no discrepancies were present. The left engine's magnetos harnesses assemble incurred fire damaged and were replaced. An operational bench test was conducted and no discrepancies were noted. All flight control and fuel systems that were not destroyed were examined. The landing gear in the retracted position, the flaps at 10 degrees setting, elevator trim to approximately 5 degrees tab down, and aileron and rudder trim neutral. Vortex generators were observed on the vertical stabilizer. The left fuel value selector was observed in the left main fuel tank position. The right fuel value selector was observed in the right main fuel tank position. A fuel sample test was negative for water contamination. The weight and balance sheet for the accident airplane showed the useful load at 1, 394 lb. The vortex generator installation to the airplane increased the useful load by an additional 300 lb. The combined estimated weight, as per the pilot, of the people on board, fuel and estimated personal effects and items onboard was at 1,803 lb. The 1967 Cessna 320 Owner's Manual does not include takeoff distance performance adjustments for sod runways, tailwinds components, or operations in excess of maximum gross weight. One of the passengers succumbed as sequelae of second and third degree thermal burns to 25 percent of body surface area, five days later.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.