What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: the aircraft an amateur built van's RV6 was in the 16th hour of phase 1 of its flight test program. The owner/pilot was operating out of a Private Airport at lake riverside, CA. The pilot stated that during a normal climb after take off at about 400' altitude the engine surged then seized, and that he had insufficient altitude to return to the airport and landed on a dirt road. The prop did not windmill during the descent. The aircraft received minor damage to the landing gear and a wing tip. The engine has been dismantled to determine the cause of the seizure. A handiwipe rag was found in the oil pan blocking the oil pickup tube. We have been unable to determine who was responsible for leaving the rag in the oil pan. This incident is closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: THE AIRCRAFT AN AMATEUR BUILT VAN'S RV6 WAS IN THE 16TH HOUR OF PHASE 1 OF ITS FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM. THE OWNER/PILOT WAS OPERATING OUT OF A PRIVATE AIRPORT AT LAKE RIVERSIDE, CA. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING A NORMAL CLIMB AFTER TAKE OFF AT ABOUT 400' ALTITUDE THE ENGINE SURGED THEN SEIZED, AND THAT HE HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD. THE PROP DID NOT WINDMILL DURING THE DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND A WING TIP. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN DISMANTLED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SEIZURE. A HANDIWIPE RAG WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PAN BLOCKING THE OIL PICKUP TUBE. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LEAVING THE RAG IN THE OIL PAN. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.