What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft struck power lines and crashed into a field(.19) on November 16, 1998, at 0845 hours pacific standard time, an experimental old hen crow G1, N6349T, was destroyed when the aircraft struck power transmission lines and crashed on takeoff from the tehacapi, California, municipal airport. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. (.4) on November 16, 1998, at 0845 hours pacific standard time, an experimental the old hen crow G1, N6349T, was destroyed when the aircraft struck power transmission lines and crashed while approaching to land at the Tehachapi, California, municipal airport. The private pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that the accident occurred on the first flight of the aircraft following a 2.5-year restoration. He reported that the climb performance was poor after takeoff and, after making several shallow banked turns, he returned to the airport. He recalled that while on downwind leg for runway 11 he looked inside the cockpit and when he looked back outside "the aircraft was going down." The aircraft was not in a spin. The pilot reported having no prior flight experience in this type aircraft and that there were no mechanical malfunctions of the aircraft. A kern county sheriff's deputy, who responded to the scene, told the safety board investigator that, at the accident scene, the pilot told her he had "stalled the plane out."
As the FAA filed it
ACFT STRUCK POWER LINES AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD(.19) ON NOVEMBER 16, 1998, AT 0845 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL OLD HEN CROW G1, N6349T, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER TRANSMISSION LINES AND CRASHED ON TAKEOFF FROM THE TEHACAPI, CALIFORNIA, MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 16, 1998, AT 0845 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL THE OLD HEN CROW G1, N6349T, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER TRANSMISSION LINES AND CRASHED WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND AT THE TEHACHAPI, CALIFORNIA, MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING A 2.5-YEAR RESTORATION. HE REPORTED THAT THE CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS POOR AFTER TAKEOFF AND, AFTER MAKING SEVERAL SHALLOW BANKED TURNS, HE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. HE RECALLED THAT WHILE ON DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 11 HE LOOKED INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND WHEN HE LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE "THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING DOWN." THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT IN A SPIN. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING NO PRIOR FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE AIRCRAFT AND THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT. A KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, TOLD THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT, AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE PILOT TOLD HER HE HAD "STALLED THE PLANE OUT."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.