What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed during takeoff. (.4) the first pilot (PIC) and his father, the second pilot, shared the duties of a preflight inspection on the airplane in preparation to perform some touch-and-go landings. The second pilot visually checked both fuel tanks and noted that the left tank was low. He stated that he had mentioned this to the first pilot, and the first pilot did not 'carefully note.' The first pilot selected the left tank for the flight because the left fuel quantity gauge was erroneously indicating a full tank. During the third touch-and-go takeoff, the engine was starved of fuel and suddenly lost all power about 300 feet above the ground. The second pilot, who was also a CFI, immediately took the controls, banked the airplane to the right to avoid trees, and force landed the airplane into an open corn field. The right wing struck the ground during the landing and the airplane nosed over. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were found with the engine. An examination of the left cockpit fuel quantity gauge revealed that the needle was captured between a deformed face plate and a sticky substance found beneath the glass. The source of the deformation and substance could not be determined.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF. (.4) THE FIRST PILOT (PIC) AND HIS FATHER, THE SECOND PILOT, SHARED THE DUTIES OF A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE IN PREPARATION TO PERFORM SOME TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE SECOND PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED BOTH FUEL TANKS AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS LOW. HE STATED THAT HE HAD MENTIONED THIS TO THE FIRST PILOT, AND THE FIRST PILOT DID NOT 'CAREFULLY NOTE.' THE FIRST PILOT SELECTED THE LEFT TANK FOR THE FLIGHT BECAUSE THE LEFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS ERRONEOUSLY INDICATING A FULL TANK. DURING THE THIRD TOUCH-AND-GO TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE WAS STARVED OF FUEL AND SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE SECOND PILOT, WHO WAS ALSO A CFI, IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CONTROLS, BANKED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID TREES, AND FORCE LANDED THE AIRPLANE INTO AN OPEN CORN FIELD. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND DURING THE LANDING AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT COCKPIT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE REVEALED THAT THE NEEDLE WAS CAPTURED BETWEEN A DEFORMED FACE PLATE AND A STICKY SUBSTANCE FOUND BENEATH THE GLASS. THE SOURCE OF THE DEFORMATION AND SUBSTANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.