What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power on take-off and crashed. (.4) the flight was loaded with fertilizer and had taken off, when the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing, and the airplane's landing gear went into a ditch and separted. The pilot had made 3 previous takeoffs under similar load conditions without incident. The pilot said, 'initially during the takeoff roll the aircraft accelerated normally.' However, immediately after breaking ground, during the initial climbout, the engine began to loose power, and the aircraft began to loose lift. The airplane continued to sink with partial power until impact. Examination of the engine revealed no exterior damage. The engine teardown revealed that improper atomization of the fuel resulted in a non-atomized fuel stream at the first-stage turbine rotor. The subsequent atomization and ignition of this fuel resulted in a localized area of increased temperature and non-uniform thermal damage to the second-and third-stage turbine stators. The localized area of increased temperature resulted in thermal damage to the second- and third-stage turbine rotors, and increased second- and third-stage turbine rotor blade tip clearance, rendering the engine incapable of producing full power. There was no evidence that the engine control system components contributed to the loss of engine power reported during the accident flight. (-23) on December 1, 1998, after 3 take offs, and during the initial climb after the last take off, aircraft N6630Q powerplant lost power. Pilot easley turned the aircraft 30 degrees approximately to the right of runway heading and landed in a field. The field contained a small ditch which sheared off the left landing gear. No fire and no injuries. Aircraft damage substantial. Fuel filter appeared contaminated. Engine intake restricted due to buildup of solid fertilizer. The fuel heater lines were plugged with caps. The electridal wire to the shut off valve closing position was broken. Note: a corrective action planned includes further investigation into the powerplant installation and fuel filteres.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER ON TAKE-OFF AND CRASHED. (.4) THE FLIGHT WAS LOADED WITH FERTILIZER AND HAD TAKEN OFF, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING, AND THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEAR WENT INTO A DITCH AND SEPARTED. THE PILOT HAD MADE 3 PREVIOUS TAKEOFFS UNDER SIMILAR LOAD CONDITIONS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID, 'INITIALLY DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED NORMALLY.' HOWEVER, IMMEDIATELY AFTER BREAKING GROUND, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMBOUT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOOSE LIFT. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SINK WITH PARTIAL POWER UNTIL IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EXTERIOR DAMAGE. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT IMPROPER ATOMIZATION OF THE FUEL RESULTED IN A NON-ATOMIZED FUEL STREAM AT THE FIRST-STAGE TURBINE ROTOR. THE SUBSEQUENT ATOMIZATION AND IGNITION OF THIS FUEL RESULTED IN A LOCALIZED AREA OF INCREASED TEMPERATURE AND NON-UNIFORM THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE SECOND-AND THIRD-STAGE TURBINE STATORS. THE LOCALIZED AREA OF INCREASED TEMPERATURE RESULTED IN THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE SECOND- AND THIRD-STAGE TURBINE ROTORS, AND INCREASED SECOND- AND THIRD-STAGE TURBINE ROTOR BLADE TIP CLEARANCE, RENDERING THE ENGINE INCAPABLE OF PRODUCING FULL POWER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER REPORTED DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. (-23) ON DECEMBER 1, 1998, AFTER 3 TAKE OFFS, AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER THE LAST TAKE OFF, AIRCRAFT N6630Q POWERPLANT LOST POWER. PILOT EASLEY TURNED THE AIRCRAFT 30 DEGREES APPROXIMATELY TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY HEADING AND LANDED IN A FIELD. THE FIELD CONTAINED A SMALL DITCH WHICH SHEARED OFF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR. NO FIRE AND NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE SUBSTANTIAL. FUEL FILTER APPEARED CONTAMINATED. ENGINE INTAKE RESTRICTED DUE TO BUILDUP OF SOLID FERTILIZER. THE FUEL HEATER LINES WERE PLUGGED WITH CAPS. THE ELECTRIDAL WIRE TO THE SHUT OFF VALVE CLOSING POSITION WAS BROKEN. NOTE: A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANNED INCLUDES FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE POWERPLANT INSTALLATION AND FUEL FILTERES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.