What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was practicing touch and go landings when the acft lost engine power at 200 feet and landed 1/2 mile short of the rwy in a swamp.(-23) engine failure on climb out after touch-and-go.(.19) on October 3, 1998, about 1015 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N53EN, registered to universal technologies/unitec, collided with trees during a descent for a forced landing shortly after takeoff from the Charlotte County Airport, Punta Gorda, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 10 minutes earlier from the airport. The pilot stated that he had performed one touch-and-go landing and during the initial climb about 350 feet above ground level, he noted a reduced rate of climb and retracted the landing gear. He then heard a loud sound from the engine and after retracting the landing gear, the propeller control moved aft uncommanded. Unable to climb, he began a descent for a forced landing and during descent, the airplane collided with trees. (.4) the engine oil was reportedly changed and replenished then the engine was started and operated for about 5-10 minutes. The pilot and general manager reported verifying that the engine oil quantity was full before the flight departed. During the upwind leg of the second touch-and-go landing, the engine failed. While descending for a forced landing, the airplane collided with trees then the ground. Examination of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector 2 days after the accident revealed no evidence of oil discharge during flight. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the nos. 2 and 4 connecting rod bearings were failed, and the nos. 1 and 3 connecting rod bearings were damaged. Minimal oil was found in the engine. No failure or malfunction was noted on the oil pump gears. The hour meter historically indicated a greater elapsed time than the cable driven tachometer during the flights of varying lengths; however, during the accident flight, the tachometer elapsed time was greater than the hour meter time. The hour meter is electrically activated by a pressure switch which requires a minimum oil pressure of 3 PSI. No malfunction of the hour meter and pressure switch were noted when tested post accident.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WHEN THE ACFT LOST ENGINE POWER AT 200 FEET AND LANDED 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE RWY IN A SWAMP.(-23) ENGINE FAILURE ON CLIMB OUT AFTER TOUCH-AND-GO.(.19) ON OCTOBER 3, 1998, ABOUT 1015 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28R-200, N53EN, REGISTERED TO UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGIES/UNITEC, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A DESCENT FOR A FORCED LANDING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED ONE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB ABOUT 350 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, HE NOTED A REDUCED RATE OF CLIMB AND RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. HE THEN HEARD A LOUD SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AND AFTER RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR, THE PROPELLER CONTROL MOVED AFT UNCOMMANDED. UNABLE TO CLIMB, HE BEGAN A DESCENT FOR A FORCED LANDING AND DURING DESCENT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. (.4) THE ENGINE OIL WAS REPORTEDLY CHANGED AND REPLENISHED THEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND OPERATED FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES. THE PILOT AND GENERAL MANAGER REPORTED VERIFYING THAT THE ENGINE OIL QUANTITY WAS FULL BEFORE THE FLIGHT DEPARTED. DURING THE UPWIND LEG OF THE SECOND TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE ENGINE FAILED. WHILE DESCENDING FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR 2 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF OIL DISCHARGE DURING FLIGHT. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NOS. 2 AND 4 CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS WERE FAILED, AND THE NOS. 1 AND 3 CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS WERE DAMAGED. MINIMAL OIL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE. NO FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED ON THE OIL PUMP GEARS. THE HOUR METER HISTORICALLY INDICATED A GREATER ELAPSED TIME THAN THE CABLE DRIVEN TACHOMETER DURING THE FLIGHTS OF VARYING LENGTHS; HOWEVER, DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE TACHOMETER ELAPSED TIME WAS GREATER THAN THE HOUR METER TIME. THE HOUR METER IS ELECTRICALLY ACTIVATED BY A PRESSURE SWITCH WHICH REQUIRES A MINIMUM OIL PRESSURE OF 3 PSI. NO MALFUNCTION OF THE HOUR METER AND PRESSURE SWITCH WERE NOTED WHEN TESTED POST 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.