The pilot prepared the aircraft for take-off from a sloping and
undulating field 1380 feet long with an overall down gradient to
the east which exceeded 1:50 and with intermediate gradients in
excess of 1:35. The strip is used by agricultural pilots as a one
way field with take offs to the east. The pilot had previously
taken off from this field in both directions without incident. On
this occasion he did not consult the aircraft performance charts
and elected to take-off to the west without flap at an all up
weight of 2,682 Ibs. utilizing only 1100 feet of the field. The
surface between two crests on the strip was wet but not boggy. The
aircraft became airborne between these crests but did not climb
and, after the wheels touched on the crest ahead, the aircraft
remained airborne in a nose up attitude without an appreciable
increase in airspeed. The stall warning horn sounded and the
aircraft hit a wire fence before the wheels touched the ground in
an adjoining field. The port wing struck a tree stump and the
aircraft was swung through 160 degrees and travelled tail first
over felled trees before coming to rest. The aircraft performance
charts indicate that, on level ground in short dry grass with a
flap setting of 20 degrees, a distance of 1630 feet is required for
take at the aircraft weight in the prevailing conditions.
Conversely the aircraft weight should not have exceeded 2155 Ibs.
for the length of the field used by the pilot.
