What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, 1999, about 1130 hours pacific daylight time, a Beech A23-24, registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot, experienced a loss of engine power during initial climb from the uncontrolled Yerington Municipal Airport, Yerington, Nevada. The pilot made a forced landing on the remaining runway, overran its departure end, and collided with a berm. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the private pilot nor the two passengers were injured. The personal flight was performed under 14 CFR part 91, and originated from Yerington about 1129. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board that the airplane's engine appeared to properly function during the engine runup, and he proceeded to takeoff from the beginning of runway 01. After climbing between 100 and 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power and he aborted the flight. During rollout, the airplane traversed a ditch, which resulted in the separation of the landing gear. The airplane came to rest about 300 yards beyond the runway's end. (.4)the pilot indicated that no malfunctions were noted during the pretakeoff engine run-up, and, on initial climb, between 100 and 200 feet above the ground, the engine 'bogged down.' The pilot stated that he tried to regain power by adjusting the throttle and mixture controls, but 'nothing happened.' Because engine power was not restored the pilot aborted the flight. Responding sheriff deputies observed evidence that the airplane struck the ground about 803 feet north of the runway's departure end, then impacted an irrigation ditch before coming to rest 97 feet north of the ditch. The airplane was subsequently examined by the FAA, and no evidence was found of any blockage in the fuel system screens or lines. The throttle and mixture controls were intact and functional. The magnetos operated normally. The engine was operated to a low power level, and no malfunctions were noted. The fuel tanks were found at least half full of fuel. Also, no anomalies were found with the fuel selector handle. A density altitude of 5,800 feet was computed. (-23) engine lost power approximately 100-200 feet AGL after take off. Pilot landed straight ahead, striking a ditch and shearing off both main landing gear and nose gear. Post-accident ground run failed to reveal any abnormalities.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, 1999, ABOUT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH A23-24, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE UNCONTROLLED YERINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, YERINGTON, NEVADA. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY, OVERRAN ITS DEPARTURE END, AND COLLIDED WITH A BERM. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED FROM YERINGTON ABOUT 1129. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE APPEARED TO PROPERLY FUNCTION DURING THE ENGINE RUNUP, AND HE PROCEEDED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 01. AFTER CLIMBING BETWEEN 100 AND 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND HE ABORTED THE FLIGHT. DURING ROLLOUT, THE AIRPLANE TRAVERSED A DITCH, WHICH RESULTED IN THE SEPARATION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 300 YARDS BEYOND THE RUNWAY'S END. (.4)THE PILOT INDICATED THAT NO MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED DURING THE PRETAKEOFF ENGINE RUN-UP, AND, ON INITIAL CLIMB, BETWEEN 100 AND 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE 'BOGGED DOWN.' THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TRIED TO REGAIN POWER BY ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS, BUT 'NOTHING HAPPENED.' BECAUSE ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED THE PILOT ABORTED THE FLIGHT. RESPONDING SHERIFF DEPUTIES OBSERVED EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND ABOUT 803 FEET NORTH OF THE RUNWAY'S DEPARTURE END, THEN IMPACTED AN IRRIGATION DITCH BEFORE COMING TO REST 97 FEET NORTH OF THE DITCH. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXAMINED BY THE FAA, AND NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF ANY BLOCKAGE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM SCREENS OR LINES. THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL. THE MAGNETOS OPERATED NORMALLY. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED TO A LOW POWER LEVEL, AND NO MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED. THE FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND AT LEAST HALF FULL OF FUEL. ALSO, NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE. A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 5,800 FEET WAS COMPUTED. (-23) ENGINE LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 100-200 FEET AGL AFTER TAKE OFF. PILOT LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD, STRIKING A DITCH AND SHEARING OFF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE GEAR. POST-ACCIDENT GROUND RUN FAILED TO REVEAL ANY ABNORMALITIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.