What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine lost power on takeoff and the acft crashed while attempting to return to the field. (.4)the pilot stated that he was approximately 60' above ground level (AGL) after takeoff when the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he pitched the nose forward and attempted to troubleshoot the loss of engine power. The pilot stated that the engine gained partial power, but then lost engine power again almost immediately. The aircraft struck some tree tops, approximately 50' AGL, and then subsequently impacted the ground. Post accident investigation of the aircraft showed no anomalies with the engine, fuel related systems, and ignition systems. A weather observation, taken from muskegon county airport at 0913, indicated that the ambient temperature was 64-degrees fahrenheit and the dew point temperature was 54-degrees fahrenheit. According to the table 'conditions known favorable for carburetor icing,' the above noted temperatures were favorable for moderate carburetor icing. (-23) the engine lost power intermittently shortly after takeoff. The airc raft impacted a tree adjacent to the runway as the pilot attempted to reach a plowed field located abeam of the runway. The pilot stated that the wind caused the aircraft to drift into the tree before he could land.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE LOST POWER ON TAKEOFF AND THE ACFT CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60' ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PITCHED THE NOSE FORWARD AND ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE GAINED PARTIAL POWER, BUT THEN LOST ENGINE POWER AGAIN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SOME TREE TOPS, APPROXIMATELY 50' AGL, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE ENGINE, FUEL RELATED SYSTEMS, AND IGNITION SYSTEMS. A WEATHER OBSERVATION, TAKEN FROM MUSKEGON COUNTY AIRPORT AT 0913, INDICATED THAT THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS 64-DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE WAS 54-DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ACCORDING TO THE TABLE 'CONDITIONS KNOWN FAVORABLE FOR CARBURETOR ICING,' THE ABOVE NOTED TEMPERATURES WERE FAVORABLE FOR MODERATE CARBURETOR ICING. (-23) THE ENGINE LOST POWER INTERMITTENTLY SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRC RAFT IMPACTED A TREE ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REACH A PLOWED FIELD LOCATED ABEAM OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT INTO THE TREE BEFORE HE COULD LAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.