What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed on takeoff, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the pilot was planning to ferry his airplane from a private airstrip to a maintenance facility. The airplane's last annual inspection was in 1988. The airplane had not been flown since 1989. The pilot did not obtain a ferry permit. Prior to takeoff, the pilot drained water from the fuel tanks, and added several gallons of fuel to each tank. He then sloshed the fuel around in each tank, drained them, and then added full fuel to each tank. The pilot then performed two separate engine run-ups, and did not encounter any engine problem. The pilot departed the airstrip in an easterly direction and climbed to about 120 to 200 feet above the ground. The engine suddenly quit running, and the pilot selected an emergency landing area near a road. During the landing approach to the ground, the airplane collided with a power line and several trees. The right wing was torn from the fuselage. An FAA airworthiness inspector found a small amount of water in the left wing fuel drain, the header tank drain, and the gascolator drain.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED ON TAKEOFF, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE PILOT WAS PLANNING TO FERRY HIS AIRPLANE FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP TO A MAINTENANCE FACILITY. THE AIRPLANE'S LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS IN 1988. THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN SINCE 1989. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN A FERRY PERMIT. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE PILOT DRAINED WATER FROM THE FUEL TANKS, AND ADDED SEVERAL GALLONS OF FUEL TO EACH TANK. HE THEN SLOSHED THE FUEL AROUND IN EACH TANK, DRAINED THEM, AND THEN ADDED FULL FUEL TO EACH TANK. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED TWO SEPARATE ENGINE RUN-UPS, AND DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRSTRIP IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 120 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT RUNNING, AND THE PILOT SELECTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA NEAR A ROAD. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH TO THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND SEVERAL TREES. THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE. AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE LEFT WING FUEL DRAIN, THE HEADER TANK DRAIN, AND THE GASCOLATOR DRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N70122 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.