What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed airport on runway 06 climbing to 500 ft./75 KTS. And experienced power loss. Pilot attempted to return to airport but was unable to make the field. Pilot then stalled the airplane into pine trees adjacent to runway on airport property. Engine was run immediately after aircraft was removed from trees. Engine was operated for 15 minutes at 2400 RPM. To achieve 2400 RPM it required full leaning of the carburator. With mixture in full rich position engine ran rough and failed to reach 2000 RPM. The carburator was examined and revealed floats set to 13/64" (normal), mixture adj., 1 1/2 turns out, accelerator functioned properly, heavy rust on throttle plate and linkage, throttle would not go to full open position by failsafe spring due to rust but functioned otherwise. Fuel selector in cockpit was hard to move, examination revealed gauled selector port, bent selector port at pin to shaft attach point, expanded selector handle attach point, and no feelable positioning detents. Manufacturer recommended placement of installed fuel selector five years ago. (.4) the pilot said that after lift-off he accelerated to 75 knots and climbed to 500 feet, at which ti me he began a left turn and set the power to 2500 RPM, and 25 inches manifold pressure. About that time he began losing power and turned back to the field complex. He said, 'the engine quit...and [I] tried to maintain about 70 to 75 knots. At this time I was extremely busy maintaining aircraft control and trying to steer the aircraft to the airport clearing...it became apparent that I was not going to make the clearing I stalled the airplane into the top of pine saplings at about 45 knots or so. After the aircraft came to rest I turned all switches off and rotated the fuel selector off.' The engine was test run under the supervision of the FAA, after it was removed from the crash site. According to the FAA inspector, '...the engine started and was run for 30 minutes...the maximum RPM achieved was 2460 RPM (static) when the mixture control was placed in the fully leaned position. The engine would not exceed 2000 RPM (static) when [the] mixture control was in the full rich position.' The fuel selector valve showed evidence of internal failure, but when used in the post accident engine run, it did not cause engine failure, the carburetor was setup and functioned properly, but due to the amount and location of rust found internally, the possibility existed that it could have affecting engine operation, the airplane had sufficient fuel onboard for the intended flight, the specific cause for failure of the engine after takeoff could not be positively determined.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 06 CLIMBING TO 500 FT./75 KTS. AND EXPERIENCED POWER LOSS. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD. PILOT THEN STALLED THE AIRPLANE INTO PINE TREES ADJACENT TO RUNWAY ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. ENGINE WAS RUN IMMEDIATELY AFTER AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM TREES. ENGINE WAS OPERATED FOR 15 MINUTES AT 2400 RPM. TO ACHIEVE 2400 RPM IT REQUIRED FULL LEANING OF THE CARBURATOR. WITH MIXTURE IN FULL RICH POSITION ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND FAILED TO REACH 2000 RPM. THE CARBURATOR WAS EXAMINED AND REVEALED FLOATS SET TO 13/64" (NORMAL), MIXTURE ADJ., 1 1/2 TURNS OUT, ACCELERATOR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, HEAVY RUST ON THROTTLE PLATE AND LINKAGE, THROTTLE WOULD NOT GO TO FULL OPEN POSITION BY FAILSAFE SPRING DUE TO RUST BUT FUNCTIONED OTHERWISE. FUEL SELECTOR IN COCKPIT WAS HARD TO MOVE, EXAMINATION REVEALED GAULED SELECTOR PORT, BENT SELECTOR PORT AT PIN TO SHAFT ATTACH POINT, EXPANDED SELECTOR HANDLE ATTACH POINT, AND NO FEELABLE POSITIONING DETENTS. MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED PLACEMENT OF INSTALLED FUEL SELECTOR FIVE YEARS AGO. (.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER LIFT-OFF HE ACCELERATED TO 75 KNOTS AND CLIMBED TO 500 FEET, AT WHICH TI ME HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND SET THE POWER TO 2500 RPM, AND 25 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ABOUT THAT TIME HE BEGAN LOSING POWER AND TURNED BACK TO THE FIELD COMPLEX. HE SAID, 'THE ENGINE QUIT...AND [I] TRIED TO MAINTAIN ABOUT 70 TO 75 KNOTS. AT THIS TIME I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND TRYING TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT TO THE AIRPORT CLEARING...IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE CLEARING I STALLED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE TOP OF PINE SAPLINGS AT ABOUT 45 KNOTS OR SO. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST I TURNED ALL SWITCHES OFF AND ROTATED THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF.' THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE FAA, AFTER IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CRASH SITE. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, '...THE ENGINE STARTED AND WAS RUN FOR 30 MINUTES...THE MAXIMUM RPM ACHIEVED WAS 2460 RPM (STATIC) WHEN THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS PLACED IN THE FULLY LEANED POSITION. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT EXCEED 2000 RPM (STATIC) WHEN [THE] MIXTURE CONTROL WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION.' THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF INTERNAL FAILURE, BUT WHEN USED IN THE POST ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN, IT DID NOT CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE, THE CARBURETOR WAS SETUP AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, BUT DUE TO THE AMOUNT AND LOCATION OF RUST FOUND INTERNALLY, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTED THAT IT COULD HAVE AFFECTING ENGINE OPERATION, THE AIRPLANE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL ONBOARD FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT, THE SPECIFIC CAUSE FOR FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AFTER TAKEOFF COULD NOT BE POSITIVELY DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.