Yup...a quartering tailwind from the left and no consideration for how the terrain/obstructions are effecting that wind through the takeoff roll and just airborne.
It is something PNG taught you to pay attention to...visualising the wind...think of it like water flowing over rocks and waterfalls in a river...water and air are both fluids and they exhibit the same flow characteristics.
At first glance the runway seems well and truly long enough...BUT.
Hot (apparently) and highish...DA might have been 3000'+...higher still if a low QNH was also contributing.
Quartering tailwind...possibly all tailwind for a part of the takeoff roll.
Getting airborne into an area of swirling, sinking, air that was probably increasing in strength slightly just off the ground, or due gusts...note wing rocking.
Possibility that the pilot perceived, due to increasing tailwind component during takeoff, the aircraft was travelling at much higher speed than it was, ground speed v airspeed, when he pulled it off the ground...having said that it seems to get airborne ok and then just doesn't go anywhere...partial power loss is possible but I'd think windshear more likely.
Possibly the pilot tries to adopt a 'normal' climb, or even higher than normal, climb attitude because obstructions are rushing toward him distracting his attention from the ASI. Drag increases and aircraft settles back onto the (rough) ground with the observed results.
It will be interesting to see what the accident report comes up with.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 5th Sep 2007 at 04:15.