What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Engine lost power after touch and go at approximately 50 ft AGL. Aircraft descended into wooded area to the right of runway centerline approximately 1/2 mile from runway 24. On scene investigation revealed that the engine primer knob was unlocked and extended approximately 1/4 inch, the throttle was approximately 70% open; propeller lever was full forward, mixture full forward, carb heat full forward, and fuel shutoff valve was off. The fuel shutoff valve was placed to off by the pilot after the accident. The aircraft had approximately 30 gals fuel on board at time of the accident. A fuel sample was taken from the aircraft, and there was no evidence of fuel contamination. The fuel truck from which the aircraft was refueled was tested, and there was no contamination. Inspection of the engine and associated controls at the scene revealed no obvious problem that would result in engine failure. A run up of the engine was performed after the aircraft was removed from the trees and transported to Greenwood Lake Airport. The engine started normally and was run through its full operating range. Carburetor heat was applied at various power settings and the engine continued to run with the expected drop in RPM. The engine continued to operate and our investigation was unable to duplicate any conditions resulting in a loss of power. (.4) the engine run-up check, takeoff, climb, and en route phase of the flight were normal. The airplane entered the downwind for a touch and go landing, and the pilot selected carburetor heat-on. The airplane touched down, and the pilot added full throttle, and selected carburetor heat-off. About 50 feet AGL, the pilot realized the engine was not producing full power. He did not notice any backfiring, smoke, or unusual vibration from the engine, just a lack of power. With insufficient runway remaining, he made a turn to the west to avoid a cliff on the departure end of the runway. The airplane settled into the trees, and the two occupants egressed the airplane. While attached to the airframe the engine was run through its full operating range, and no pre impacted failures were identified. The engine primer was found unlocked and out 1/4 of an inch. According to the icing probability chart in, 'tips on winter flying,' the accident weather conditions were conduc ive for serious icing with glide power. In addition, the publication stated that, 'it is recommended that carburetor heat be applied before reducing power and that partial power be used during letdown to prevent icing, and overcooling the engine.'
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ENGINE LOST POWER AFTER TOUCH AND GO AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FT AGL. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO WOODED AREA TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM RUNWAY 24. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE PRIMER KNOB WAS UNLOCKED AND EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH, THE THROTTLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70% OPEN; PROPELLER LEVER WAS FULL FORWARD, MIXTURE FULL FORWARD, CARB HEAT FULL FORWARD, AND FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS OFF. THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS PLACED TO OFF BY THE PILOT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 30 GALS FUEL ON BOARD AT TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION. THE FUEL TRUCK FROM WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED WAS TESTED, AND THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED CONTROLS AT THE SCENE REVEALED NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM THAT WOULD RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE. A RUN UP OF THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE TREES AND TRANSPORTED TO GREENWOOD LAKE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY AND WAS RUN THROUGH ITS FULL OPERATING RANGE. CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AT VARIOUS POWER SETTINGS AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN WITH THE EXPECTED DROP IN RPM. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE AND OUR INVESTIGATION WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE ANY CONDITIONS RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER. (.4) THE ENGINE RUN-UP CHECK, TAKEOFF, CLIMB, AND EN ROUTE PHASE OF THE FLIGHT WERE NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, AND THE PILOT SELECTED CARBURETOR HEAT-ON. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, AND THE PILOT ADDED FULL THROTTLE, AND SELECTED CARBURETOR HEAT-OFF. ABOUT 50 FEET AGL, THE PILOT REALIZED THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER. HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY BACKFIRING, SMOKE, OR UNUSUAL VIBRATION FROM THE ENGINE, JUST A LACK OF POWER. WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING, HE MADE A TURN TO THE WEST TO AVOID A CLIFF ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO THE TREES, AND THE TWO OCCUPANTS EGRESSED THE AIRPLANE. WHILE ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME THE ENGINE WAS RUN THROUGH ITS FULL OPERATING RANGE, AND NO PRE IMPACTED FAILURES WERE IDENTIFIED. THE ENGINE PRIMER WAS FOUND UNLOCKED AND OUT 1/4 OF AN INCH. ACCORDING TO THE ICING PROBABILITY CHART IN, 'TIPS ON WINTER FLYING,' THE ACCIDENT WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CONDUC IVE FOR SERIOUS ICING WITH GLIDE POWER. IN ADDITION, THE PUBLICATION STATED THAT, 'IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CARBURETOR HEAT BE APPLIED BEFORE REDUCING POWER AND THAT PARTIAL POWER BE USED DURING LETDOWN TO PREVENT ICING, AND OVERCOOLING THE ENGINE.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.