RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report about a fatal airplane crash in Warren County on the afternoon of May 21.

The NTSB said:

The airplane was departing on runway 18 at Nocarva Airport (NC10), Macon, North Carolina.
Runway 18 was 1,900 ft long, 100 ft wide, and consisted of a turf surface. According to a pilot
witness and witness video, the airplane travelled along the runway in a nose-high attitude, with
the tail dragging in the turf. The airplane lifted off nose-high, the wings buffeted, and the
airplane drifted left into trees. The engine was operating continuously, and no abnormal engine
sounds were heard.
A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the wreckage, which came to rest in a wooded area
off the left side of the runway, about three-fourths down the runway. The wreckage was
retained for further examination.

The pilot suffered severe burns and was taken to a hospital where they died.