What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was in pattern when it crashed under unknown circumt. 2 POB sufferd fatal inj, north Little Rock, AR. (.4)the experimental homebuilt airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees following a loss of engine power during the takeoff/initial climb. Several witnesses reported that the engine sputtered then it lost power. Post-accident metallurgical examination revealed radial and circumferential cracks on the valve seat head of the #3 exhaust valve. The combustion chamber face of the valve contained sites of surface tearing where there was a lack of fusion of the coating to the base metal. Voids at the interface between the coating and the base material contained aluminum oxide, a material used during surface preparation operation. (-23) on March 26, 1998, at 1610 central standard time, a velocity 173 rg elite homebuilt, N173VE, was destroyed when impacting trees and terrain following loss of engine power during takeoff/climb from north Little Rock airport. The pilot and passenger received fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS IN PATTERN WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMT. 2 POB SUFFERD FATAL INJ, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR. (.4)THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED THEN IT LOST POWER. POST-ACCIDENT METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED RADIAL AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS ON THE VALVE SEAT HEAD OF THE #3 EXHAUST VALVE. THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER FACE OF THE VALVE CONTAINED SITES OF SURFACE TEARING WHERE THERE WAS A LACK OF FUSION OF THE COATING TO THE BASE METAL. VOIDS AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE COATING AND THE BASE MATERIAL CONTAINED ALUMINUM OXIDE, A MATERIAL USED DURING SURFACE PREPARATION OPERATION. (-23) ON MARCH 26, 1998, AT 1610 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A VELOCITY 173 RG ELITE HOMEBUILT, N173VE, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IMPACTING TREES AND TERRAIN FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING TAKEOFF/CLIMB FROM NORTH LITTLE ROCK AIRPORT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.