What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft took off, and a witness reported hearing an unusual sound from the engine before the acft struck a tree (.4)immediately after take-off during the climb-out, the airplane's engine ceased operating. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and executed a forced landing in wooded terrain off the end of the departure runway. Both pilot and passenger exited the aircraft on their own and sustained minor injuries. The pilot reported checking the fuel prior to take-off and found no contaminates. He verified the engine driven fuel pump was in the 'on' position. The engine was examined and test-run satisfactorily. No pre-impact discrepancies were noted with the engine or related systems. Examination of a fuel sample revealed it was absent of contaminants. (-23) on November 19, 1998, michael mcintyre pilot in command of N1685H departed runway 21 at accomack county airport in Melfa, Virginia. The engine began to surge upon initial climb out at an altitude of approximately 150 to 300 feet. The engine momentarily returned to normal and then lost power completely. The pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft to maintain airspeed a ND executed a steep bank turn to the right. The pilot was not able to reach a suitable landing area and leveled the wings prior to impacting a tree which sheared off the right wing. The aircraft continued descending through the trees and came to rest in about a 45 degree nose down altitude. Witness statement received by the FAA verified this account as accurate. Fuel receipts show that pilot purchased 22 gallons of aviation fuel at mfv. Passenger stated a preflight inspection was performed and fuel drained and checked for contamination by pilot. Pilot stated that he performed a pre flight inspection and normal engine run up prior to departure and engine operated normal during the take off roll. On site investigation revealed that the fuel selector was on the right tank, aux fuel pump switch was on, the throttle lever was full open, mixture control was in idle cut off and the flap handle was up. Both fuel tanks had ruptured on impact. Propeller had shown no rotation at time of impact.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT TOOK OFF, AND A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING AN UNUSUAL SOUND FROM THE ENGINE BEFORE THE ACFT STRUCK A TREE (.4)IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE-OFF DURING THE CLIMB-OUT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE CEASED OPERATING. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN WOODED TERRAIN OFF THE END OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOT REPORTED CHECKING THE FUEL PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF AND FOUND NO CONTAMINATES. HE VERIFIED THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AND TEST-RUN SATISFACTORILY. NO PRE-IMPACT DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE OR RELATED SYSTEMS. EXAMINATION OF A FUEL SAMPLE REVEALED IT WAS ABSENT OF CONTAMINANTS. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 19, 1998, MICHAEL MCINTYRE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N1685H DEPARTED RUNWAY 21 AT ACCOMACK COUNTY AIRPORT IN MELFA, VIRGINIA. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE UPON INITIAL CLIMB OUT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 300 FEET. THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THEN LOST POWER COMPLETELY. THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED A ND EXECUTED A STEEP BANK TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH A SUITABLE LANDING AREA AND LEVELED THE WINGS PRIOR TO IMPACTING A TREE WHICH SHEARED OFF THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DESCENDING THROUGH THE TREES AND CAME TO REST IN ABOUT A 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ALTITUDE. WITNESS STATEMENT RECEIVED BY THE FAA VERIFIED THIS ACCOUNT AS ACCURATE. FUEL RECEIPTS SHOW THAT PILOT PURCHASED 22 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL AT MFV. PASSENGER STATED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED AND FUEL DRAINED AND CHECKED FOR CONTAMINATION BY PILOT. PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A PRE FLIGHT INSPECTION AND NORMAL ENGINE RUN UP PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND ENGINE OPERATED NORMAL DURING THE TAKE OFF ROLL. ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK, AUX FUEL PUMP SWITCH WAS ON, THE THROTTLE LEVER WAS FULL OPEN, MIXTURE CONTROL WAS IN IDLE CUT OFF AND THE FLAP HANDLE WAS UP. BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD RUPTURED ON IMPACT. PROPELLER HAD SHOWN NO ROTATION AT TIME OF IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.