What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 19, 1999, at 1346 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N26842, impacted terrain after takeoff from the Elko, Nevada, airport. The aircraft, operated under 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local area personal flight and no flight plan was filed. In an interview with a federal aviation administration (FAA) aviation safety technician, the pilot stated that the aircraft had recently gone through an annual inspection. He reported that on this flight he had conducted an engine run-up with no discrepancies noted. The pilot stated that the takeoff roll was normal; however, on the initial climb he noted a loss of power and a decay in airspeed. He stated that he thought there was something wrong with the engine. The pilot noted that he "had run out of runway," and would not be able to land straight ahead. He stated that he turned back to the runway, and as he was making the crosswind turn to the downwind leg, the left wing dipped down and the aircraft fell 50 feet to the ground. (.4)this was the first flight after an annual inspection had been performed. Prior to the initial takeoff, the airplane was taxi tested with no discrepancies noted. The pilot stated that the engine started easily and ran smoothly at lower RPM settings. An engine run-up was conducted, which included a magneto check, with no anomalies experienced. During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the engine did not produce full power. He elected to continue the takeoff, and noted that the RPM did not go above 1,600. He attempted to turn back to the runway to land. As he made the crosswind to downwind turn, the left wing stalled. The airplane pitched down and fell about 50 feet to the ground. The engine was inspected, and found to have weak compression in two cylinders. The examination further revealed that there were leaks coming from the intake and exhaust valves of both cylinders. No further discrepancies were noted. (-23)pilot initiated takeoff roll and never developed full power. Pilot elected to continue takeoff and lost further power after airborne. Pilot attempted to return to the runway, stalled the aircraft, and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 19, 1999, AT 1346 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3C-65, N26842, IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE ELKO, NEVADA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/OWNER, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AVIATION SAFETY TECHNICIAN, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY GONE THROUGH AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. HE REPORTED THAT ON THIS FLIGHT HE HAD CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUN-UP WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL; HOWEVER, ON THE INITIAL CLIMB HE NOTED A LOSS OF POWER AND A DECAY IN AIRSPEED. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE "HAD RUN OUT OF RUNWAY," AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. HE STATED THAT HE TURNED BACK TO THE RUNWAY, AND AS HE WAS MAKING THE CROSSWIND TURN TO THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE LEFT WING DIPPED DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT FELL 50 FEET TO THE GROUND. (.4)THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED. PRIOR TO THE INITIAL TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXI TESTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED EASILY AND RAN SMOOTHLY AT LOWER RPM SETTINGS. AN ENGINE RUN-UP WAS CONDUCTED, WHICH INCLUDED A MAGNETO CHECK, WITH NO ANOMALIES EXPERIENCED. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE FULL POWER. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF, AND NOTED THAT THE RPM DID NOT GO ABOVE 1,600. HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY TO LAND. AS HE MADE THE CROSSWIND TO DOWNWIND TURN, THE LEFT WING STALLED. THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN AND FELL ABOUT 50 FEET TO THE GROUND. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED, AND FOUND TO HAVE WEAK COMPRESSION IN TWO CYLINDERS. THE EXAMINATION FURTHER REVEALED THAT THERE WERE LEAKS COMING FROM THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES OF BOTH CYLINDERS. NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. (-23)PILOT INITIATED TAKEOFF ROLL AND NEVER DEVELOPED FULL POWER. PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TAKEOFF AND LOST FURTHER POWER AFTER AIRBORNE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, STALLED THE AIRCRAFT, AND CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.