What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Problem on climbout. Crashed short. Exhaust manifold to turbo came off. Gas ses caused fire. Scorched carpet. (-23)on 07/18/98 around 1230 p.m., pilot frank l. earl, took off on a local flight from slc airport #2. Shortly after takeoff he apparently experience a problem and tried to return to the airport. He crahsed approximately 1.5 miles from the airport. Aricraft was destroyed, pilot fatal. Investigation indicates the clamp holding the exhaust manifold to the turbo charger broke off, allowing the exhaust manifold to separate and allow gases to enter the engien compartment. Evdience of fuel, evidence also suggests the fire scorched the carpet under the pilots left rudder pedal. No evidence of fuel, hydraulic, or oil compromised. Therefore, the clamp failure between the turbo charger and the exhaust manifold is the probable cause of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
PROBLEM ON CLIMBOUT. CRASHED SHORT. EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO TURBO CAME OFF. GAS SES CAUSED FIRE. SCORCHED CARPET. (-23)ON 07/18/98 AROUND 1230 P.M., PILOT FRANK L. EARL, TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL FLIGHT FROM SLC AIRPORT #2. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF HE APPARENTLY EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM AND TRIED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HE CRAHSED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. ARICRAFT WAS DESTROYED, PILOT FATAL. INVESTIGATION INDICATES THE CLAMP HOLDING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE TURBO CHARGER BROKE OFF, ALLOWING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO SEPARATE AND ALLOW GASES TO ENTER THE ENGIEN COMPARTMENT. EVDIENCE OF FUEL, EVIDENCE ALSO SUGGESTS THE FIRE SCORCHED THE CARPET UNDER THE PILOTS LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL, HYDRAULIC, OR OIL COMPROMISED. THEREFORE, THE CLAMP FAILURE BETWEEN THE TURBO CHARGER AND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.