What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine lost power on climbout. Struck trees landing. Fuel on board. High wind for a PA18. (.19) on November 15, 1997, about 1435 pacific standard time, N1668P, a Piper PA-18-150, operated by the owner/pilot, collided with trees during a forced landing and was substantially damaged near Battle Ground, Washington. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff. The Private pilot was seriously injured and his passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to an FAA aviation safety inspector from hillsboro, Oregon, the pilot and passenger departed from a Private grass airstrip near the pilot's home in Battle Ground. Immediately after takeoff, while the airplane was climbing through about 300 feet above the Ground, the engine began to "run rough." The airplane descended toward a clearing in the trees. During the emergency descent, the right wing struck a tree, AD the airplane impacted more trees and terrain. Fuel was found on board the airplane. (.4)the Private pilot removed the fuel selector valve handle assembly and had the placarded backing panel painted. During reinstallation, the pilot improperly placed the handle and pointer 90-degrees counterclockwise from the correct selector valve position. During the accident flight, the handle was placed in the right tank position indication, but the actual valve position was in the fuel shutoff position. The engine was subsequently starved of fuel and quit. The pilot initiated a forced landing onto wooded terrain and was seriously injured. Further exam of the valve revealed that it was improperly inspected by a mechanic, thus eliminating the detent function only. The engine fuel primer was found unlocked. Exam of the engine and airframe did not reveal any other preimpact mechanical discrepancies. The pilot had been denied a medical certificate due to an unexplained history of alcohol abuse. The FAA revoked the pilot's airman certificate for failure to provide blood test results from blood drawn after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. STRUCK TREES LANDING. FUEL ON BOARD. HIGH WIND FOR A PA18. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 15, 1997, ABOUT 1435 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, N1668P, A PIPER PA-18-150, OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED NEAR BATTLE GROUND, WASHINGTON. THE FORCED LANDING WAS PRECIPITATED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 91. ACCORDING TO AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM HILLSBORO, OREGON, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR THE PILOT'S HOME IN BATTLE GROUND. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN ROUGH." THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TOWARD A CLEARING IN THE TREES. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE, AD THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED MORE TREES AND TERRAIN. FUEL WAS FOUND ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE. (.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT REMOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HANDLE ASSEMBLY AND HAD THE PLACARDED BACKING PANEL PAINTED. DURING REINSTALLATION, THE PILOT IMPROPERLY PLACED THE HANDLE AND POINTER 90-DEGREES COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM THE CORRECT SELECTOR VALVE POSITION. DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE HANDLE WAS PLACED IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION INDICATION, BUT THE ACTUAL VALVE POSITION WAS IN THE FUEL SHUTOFF POSITION. THE ENGINE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY STARVED OF FUEL AND QUIT. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING ONTO WOODED TERRAIN AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. FURTHER EXAM OF THE VALVE REVEALED THAT IT WAS IMPROPERLY INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC, THUS ELIMINATING THE DETENT FUNCTION ONLY. THE ENGINE FUEL PRIMER WAS FOUND UNLOCKED. EXAM OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME DID NOT REVEAL ANY OTHER PREIMPACT MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. THE PILOT HAD BEEN DENIED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DUE TO AN UNEXPLAINED HISTORY OF ALCOHOL ABUSE. THE FAA REVOKED THE PILOT'S AIRMAN CERTIFICATE FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE BLOOD TEST RESULTS FROM BLOOD DRAWN AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.