What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed and came to rest inverted in a tree, Fremont, CA. (-23) on July 5th, 1998, Mr. Perry coe, pilot in command (PIC) of Taylorcraft, model BL-65, N23670, departed livermore airport at approximately 1120 local time. He then proceeded, with an occupant, to pleasanton, CA to photograph a housing subdivision. After the photograph session was completed, he then continued to the San Antonio reservior area for more photographs. While flying in a terrain consisting of hills and valleys, the aircraft may have encountered a down draft while approaching the valley at approximately a 45 degree angle. The pic's attention was given to the area that he intended to have photographed, and when he attempted to maneuver out of the valley he realized that he had insufficient power for the maneuver and applied more power to throttle. The aircraft failed to respond, and with the hillside quickly appproaching the decision to land the aircraft in a tree was made. Both PIC and occupant were unharmed and were able to exit the aircraft without injury. The aircraft frame at the area above and to the rear of the PIC position was bent inward and the left wing front spar was splintered upgrading it to an accident. The left wing tip bow was damaged. An engine compression check with the engine cold indicated no. 1 cylinder 45 PSI, no. 2 cylinder 70 PSI, no. 3 cylinder 40 PSI, no. 4 cylinder 63 PSI. When the engine was ran and a compression check done the no. 1 cylinder indicated 60 PSI, no. 2 cylinder 70 PSI, no. 3 cylinder 65 PSI, no. 4 cylinder 70 PSI. Maximum RPM achieved during ground run was 2225 RPM, magneto drop for left side was 20 RPM magneto drop for the right side was 25 RPM. No obvious engine malfunctions were indicated during engine run. PIC stated that prior to flight the required pre-flight inspection was not complied with which included checking of the fuel level. When the aircraft was inspected for the first time the fuel bowl contained fuel but the main tank did not. The aircraft attitude while resting in the tree could have caused fuel to drain out of the tank. (From .4) during a photographing flight in hilly terrain, the pilot applied full power, but the aircraft was unable to establish a positive rate of climb. The pilot reported that the aircraft was unable to clear the terrain and he made a forced landing into a tree. The pilot reported no mechanical malf unctions. An engine run was conducted with no abnormalities noted.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A TREE, FREMONT, CA. (-23) ON JULY 5TH, 1998, MR. PERRY COE, PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF TAYLORCRAFT, MODEL BL-65, N23670, DEPARTED LIVERMORE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1120 LOCAL TIME. HE THEN PROCEEDED, WITH AN OCCUPANT, TO PLEASANTON, CA TO PHOTOGRAPH A HOUSING SUBDIVISION. AFTER THE PHOTOGRAPH SESSION WAS COMPLETED, HE THEN CONTINUED TO THE SAN ANTONIO RESERVIOR AREA FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS. WHILE FLYING IN A TERRAIN CONSISTING OF HILLS AND VALLEYS, THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT WHILE APPROACHING THE VALLEY AT APPROXIMATELY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE PIC'S ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE AREA THAT HE INTENDED TO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED, AND WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER OUT OF THE VALLEY HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD INSUFFICIENT POWER FOR THE MANEUVER AND APPLIED MORE POWER TO THROTTLE. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RESPOND, AND WITH THE HILLSIDE QUICKLY APPPROACHING THE DECISION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN A TREE WAS MADE. BOTH PIC AND OCCUPANT WERE UNHARMED AND WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT FRAME AT THE AREA ABOVE AND TO THE REAR OF THE PIC POSITION WAS BENT INWARD AND THE LEFT WING FRONT SPAR WAS SPLINTERED UPGRADING IT TO AN ACCIDENT. THE LEFT WING TIP BOW WAS DAMAGED. AN ENGINE COMPRESSION CHECK WITH THE ENGINE COLD INDICATED NO. 1 CYLINDER 45 PSI, NO. 2 CYLINDER 70 PSI, NO. 3 CYLINDER 40 PSI, NO. 4 CYLINDER 63 PSI. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RAN AND A COMPRESSION CHECK DONE THE NO. 1 CYLINDER INDICATED 60 PSI, NO. 2 CYLINDER 70 PSI, NO. 3 CYLINDER 65 PSI, NO. 4 CYLINDER 70 PSI. MAXIMUM RPM ACHIEVED DURING GROUND RUN WAS 2225 RPM, MAGNETO DROP FOR LEFT SIDE WAS 20 RPM MAGNETO DROP FOR THE RIGHT SIDE WAS 25 RPM. NO OBVIOUS ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS WERE INDICATED DURING ENGINE RUN. PIC STATED THAT PRIOR TO FLIGHT THE REQUIRED PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING OF THE FUEL LEVEL. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE FUEL BOWL CONTAINED FUEL BUT THE MAIN TANK DID NOT. THE AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE WHILE RESTING IN THE TREE COULD HAVE CAUSED FUEL TO DRAIN OUT OF THE TANK. (FROM .4) DURING A PHOTOGRAPHING FLIGHT IN HILLY TERRAIN, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING INTO A TREE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL MALF UNCTIONS. AN ENGINE RUN WAS CONDUCTED WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.