What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was observed making a high speed low pass, engine lost power, crashed into trees. (-23) aircraft made a low pass down runway at Aero Country. Aircraft pulled up and a left turn was initiated. Engine lost power at top of pullup, aircraft stalled and crashed into trees at edge of runway. Pilot killed on impact. Aircraft burned on impact. (.19) on July 19, 1997, at 1925 central daylight time, a hillam rans S-9 experimental airplane, N1678N, was destroyed following a loss of control while attempting a return to the airport after experiencing a loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb near Mckinney, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the homebuilt airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The airplane departed from the Aero Country airpark approximately 5 minutes prior to the accident. Witnesses at the airpark reported that the airplane executed a high speed low pass over runway 17. About 3/4 down the 2,950 foot runway, the pilo t intiated a "sharp pull up" establishing a pronounced nose high attitude. Witnesses further reported hearing that the engine suddenly lost power and they observed that the 3-bladed propeller had stopped at an estimated altitude between 350 to 400 feet AGL. The witnesses further stated that the pilot established a glide as he turned to a northerly heading towards the runway. Witnesses continued to watch the airplane "expecting a downwind landing", but instead, the airplane continued northbound until he was at a height of 50 feet AGL. At that point the witnesses observed the airplane "roll into a sharp turn to the left." The pilot lost control of the airplane and the airplane impacted trees in a near verticl attitude. Several friends of the pilot told the investigator in charge that the pilot had previously owned one ultralight vehicle and another home built airplane prior to purchasing the accident airplane about one year eariler. The pilot had performed several modifications to "improve aircraft performance" and was currently in the process of "experimenting" with the carburetor and fuel system to increase the power output of the installed Rotax engine.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS, ENGINE LOST POWER, CRASHED INTO TREES. (-23) AIRCRAFT MADE A LOW PASS DOWN RUNWAY AT AERO COUNTRY. AIRCRAFT PULLED UP AND A LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED. ENGINE LOST POWER AT TOP OF PULLUP, AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CRASHED INTO TREES AT EDGE OF RUNWAY. PILOT KILLED ON IMPACT. AIRCRAFT BURNED ON IMPACT. (.19) ON JULY 19, 1997, AT 1925 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLAM RANS S-9 EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N1678N, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ATTEMPTING A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB NEAR MCKINNEY, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE AERO COUNTRY AIRPARK APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPARK REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE EXECUTED A HIGH SPEED LOW PASS OVER RUNWAY 17. ABOUT 3/4 DOWN THE 2,950 FOOT RUNWAY, THE PILO T INTIATED A "SHARP PULL UP" ESTABLISHING A PRONOUNCED NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. WITNESSES FURTHER REPORTED HEARING THAT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THEY OBSERVED THAT THE 3-BLADED PROPELLER HAD STOPPED AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE BETWEEN 350 TO 400 FEET AGL. THE WITNESSES FURTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A GLIDE AS HE TURNED TO A NORTHERLY HEADING TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES CONTINUED TO WATCH THE AIRPLANE "EXPECTING A DOWNWIND LANDING", BUT INSTEAD, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED NORTHBOUND UNTIL HE WAS AT A HEIGHT OF 50 FEET AGL. AT THAT POINT THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE "ROLL INTO A SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT." THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES IN A NEAR VERTICL ATTITUDE. SEVERAL FRIENDS OF THE PILOT TOLD THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED ONE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE AND ANOTHER HOME BUILT AIRPLANE PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ABOUT ONE YEAR EARILER. THE PILOT HAD PERFORMED SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS TO "IMPROVE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE" AND WAS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF "EXPERIMENTING" WITH THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL SYSTEM TO INCREASE THE POWER OUTPUT OF THE INSTALLED ROTAX ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.