What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed irf. Reported engine problems. Cleared return. Lost control. Hit wires and houses and burned. (.4) shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported that the engine was losing power and that he was returning to the airport. The controller advised the pilot that he was 1 3/4 miles south of the airport, and he should make a left turn and return for a landing on runway 33. There were no further radio transmissions from the pilot. The airplane struck power lines about 25 feet high, struck a house, and then came to rest on the porch of another house. The second house and airplane were destroyed as a result of the collision and a post-impact fire. A witness, about 1 1/4 miles from runway 33, said he heard an airplane taking off. He said, '... The engine noise was both loud and different, I looked toward the airport, but the plane was already into the overcast-600 foot ceiling. The engine noise was unique, it had a loud beat, like one cylinder was firing directly out the exhaust...when the plane had passed me, from my right to left about the 10 o'clock position the engine skipped one beat, made a louder bang and went silent... .' Examination of the engine did not disclose any eviden ce of mechanical malfunction that would have precluded operation.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED IRF. REPORTED ENGINE PROBLEMS. CLEARED RETURN. LOST CONTROL. HIT WIRES AND HOUSES AND BURNED. (.4) SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER AND THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT. THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT HE WAS 1 3/4 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND HE SHOULD MAKE A LEFT TURN AND RETURN FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 33. THERE WERE NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE PILOT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES ABOUT 25 FEET HIGH, STRUCK A HOUSE, AND THEN CAME TO REST ON THE PORCH OF ANOTHER HOUSE. THE SECOND HOUSE AND AIRPLANE WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE COLLISION AND A POST-IMPACT FIRE. A WITNESS, ABOUT 1 1/4 MILES FROM RUNWAY 33, SAID HE HEARD AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF. HE SAID, '... THE ENGINE NOISE WAS BOTH LOUD AND DIFFERENT, I LOOKED TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT THE PLANE WAS ALREADY INTO THE OVERCAST-600 FOOT CEILING. THE ENGINE NOISE WAS UNIQUE, IT HAD A LOUD BEAT, LIKE ONE CYLINDER WAS FIRING DIRECTLY OUT THE EXHAUST...WHEN THE PLANE HAD PASSED ME, FROM MY RIGHT TO LEFT ABOUT THE 10 O'CLOCK POSITION THE ENGINE SKIPPED ONE BEAT, MADE A LOUDER BANG AND WENT SILENT... .' EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDEN CE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.