Interstate S1A N34926 accident near Lakeland, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

After takeoff, the airplane climbed about 500 feet and turned to the left. It subsequently entered a nose-dive configuration and descended rapidly. As the airplane neared the ground, it appeared to assume a level attitude consistent with the pilot recovering from the nose dive. The airplane clipped a tree and landed hard in a field. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed three large propeller strikes along the ground. Flight control continuity was established to all flight control surfaces and examination of the engine and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions. No conclusive physical evidence was found to determine the reason for the sudden loss of altitude and resultant hard landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA251 for the full record.