What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 1998, at 0745 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N5817U, experienced a loss of power after takeoff and impacted terrain near the Dayton valley airpark, Dayton, Nevada. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. (.4) the pilot had been flying the airplane the previous week with no discrepancies noted with the airplane or engine. He had flown into the airport the day before the accident and had to refuel the airplane with auto fuel because the airport did not provide aviation fuel. The pilot stated that the airplane had been approved to use auto fuel by an STC. The next morning he conducted a run-up with no discrepancies noted. He stated that the takeoff was normal, but at the departure end of the runway the engine stopped. The engine did not sputter or cough, but the rpm's dropped and the engine became quiet. The pilot turned the airplane to the left and made an unsuccessful attempt to restart the engine. Witness to the accident stated that the airplane appeared to be at full power, but airspeed was low and the airplane was not climbing. Following recovery of the airplane, grade 100LL aviation gasoline was put into a tank and plumbed into the airplane fuel system. During the first attempt to start the engine, it ran rough. A second engine run was conducted with no discrepancies noted. The engine was examined with no discrepancies noted. The fuel that was removed from the airplane during recovery was bright yellow mixed with blue. According to the carburetor icing probability chart, conditions were conducive to serious icing or climb power. (-23) on 09/20/98, at 0745 hours PDT, N5817U, Piper PA-28-140, experienced a loss of power after take-off and impacted terrain near Dayton valley airpark, Dayton, Nevada. The aircraft sustained substantial damages. The pilot and the one passenger were not injured. VMC with calm winds and 65 degrees f. temperature existed for this personal flight. No flight plan filed. ELT activated. There were no fires.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1998, AT 0745 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N5817U, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKEOFF AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR THE DAYTON VALLEY AIRPARK, DAYTON, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. (.4) THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING THE AIRPLANE THE PREVIOUS WEEK WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. HE HAD FLOWN INTO THE AIRPORT THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND HAD TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE WITH AUTO FUEL BECAUSE THE AIRPORT DID NOT PROVIDE AVIATION FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN APPROVED TO USE AUTO FUEL BY AN STC. THE NEXT MORNING HE CONDUCTED A RUN-UP WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. HE STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL, BUT AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE ENGINE DID NOT SPUTTER OR COUGH, BUT THE RPM'S DROPPED AND THE ENGINE BECAME QUIET. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT AND MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE AT FULL POWER, BUT AIRSPEED WAS LOW AND THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CLIMBING. FOLLOWING RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE, GRADE 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE WAS PUT INTO A TANK AND PLUMBED INTO THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM. DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE, IT RAN ROUGH. A SECOND ENGINE RUN WAS CONDUCTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE FUEL THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE DURING RECOVERY WAS BRIGHT YELLOW MIXED WITH BLUE. ACCORDING TO THE CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS ICING OR CLIMB POWER. (-23) ON 09/20/98, AT 0745 HOURS PDT, N5817U, PIPER PA-28-140, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKE-OFF AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR DAYTON VALLEY AIRPARK, DAYTON, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES. THE PILOT AND THE ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VMC WITH CALM WINDS AND 65 DEGREES F. TEMPERATURE EXISTED FOR THIS PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. ELT ACTIVATED. THERE WERE NO FIRES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.