What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On September 6, 1998, approximately 1130 mountain daylight time, a jobe's TE-1, N6EZ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain after takeoff from White Sands regional airport, Alamogordo, new Mexico. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight was originating at the time of accident. According to the pilot, he was performing touch and go landings from runway 21 when he lost engine power after take-off and impacted the ground. (.4) the pilot had just purchases the airplane (6 hours flight experience in make and model, total flight time 118 hours) and was departing Alamogordo (elevation 4,197 feet; density altitude 6,741) for the cross-country trip home to California. The pilot reported that he performed a 'long engine run-up' and that the airplane 'lost power right after takeoff'. The airplane came to rest approximately 480 feet from the runway in rough, high vegatated terrain. The takeoff had been attempted at a weight of 1,431 pounds, and the designer recommended a maximum takeoff weight of 1,325 pounds. The engine was 29 years old with numerous time periods of storage with no documentation of preservation or overhaul according to manufacturer's recommendations. The engine was examined at the factory and the pistons revealed worn rings, heavy blow-by signatures, and scuffing on the piston skirts. The #3 piston had a record of low compression and exhibited black carbon deposits on top. (-23) aircraft takeoff gross weight exceeded the weight recommended for low time pilot. Pilot did not understand density altitude and the penalties that could affect the operation of aircraft. So when pilot could not achieve what he expected was normal performance, he tried to return to airport to land, when he banked to left he lost lift which stalled the aircraft and when he tried to recover, he made contact with the ground and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1130 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A JOBE'S TE-1, N6EZ, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM WHITE SANDS REGIONAL AIRPORT, ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS FROM RUNWAY 21 WHEN HE LOST ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKE-OFF AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. (.4) THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASES THE AIRPLANE (6 HOURS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN MAKE AND MODEL, TOTAL FLIGHT TIME 118 HOURS) AND WAS DEPARTING ALAMOGORDO (ELEVATION 4,197 FEET; DENSITY ALTITUDE 6,741) FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP HOME TO CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PERFORMED A 'LONG ENGINE RUN-UP' AND THAT THE AIRPLANE 'LOST POWER RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF'. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 480 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY IN ROUGH, HIGH VEGATATED TERRAIN. THE TAKEOFF HAD BEEN ATTEMPTED AT A WEIGHT OF 1,431 POUNDS, AND THE DESIGNER RECOMMENDED A MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF 1,325 POUNDS. THE ENGINE WAS 29 YEARS OLD WITH NUMEROUS TIME PERIODS OF STORAGE WITH NO DOCUMENTATION OF PRESERVATION OR OVERHAUL ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AT THE FACTORY AND THE PISTONS REVEALED WORN RINGS, HEAVY BLOW-BY SIGNATURES, AND SCUFFING ON THE PISTON SKIRTS. THE #3 PISTON HAD A RECORD OF LOW COMPRESSION AND EXHIBITED BLACK CARBON DEPOSITS ON TOP. (-23) AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT EXCEEDED THE WEIGHT RECOMMENDED FOR LOW TIME PILOT. PILOT DID NOT UNDERSTAND DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE PENALTIES THAT COULD AFFECT THE OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT. SO WHEN PILOT COULD NOT ACHIEVE WHAT HE EXPECTED WAS NORMAL PERFORMANCE, HE TRIED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT TO LAND, WHEN HE BANKED TO LEFT HE LOST LIFT WHICH STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND WHEN HE TRIED TO RECOVER, HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.