What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed at the New Castle airport due to unkn circumstances, sole occupant airlifted to local hospital, 1 serious injury. (-23) on July 3, 1999, at 1421 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N4494Z was substantially damaged during takeoff at New Castle airport, New Castle, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot, Mr. Charles shuffler, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for a local flight in preparation of towing a glider. No flight plan was filed for operation under 14 CFR part 91. According to a witness, the airplane departed the grass runway and ascended approx. 100 feet. The witness heard a decrease in the engine noise, as if the engine went to idle. The pilot made a left turn to avoid utility wires and the airplane impacted terrain in a field approx. 100 feet from the runway. A large tree at the end of runway 18 was struck a glancing blow prior to impact. (.4) after takeoff, approximately 100 feet above the ground, the engine lost all power. The pilot made a left turn to avoid utility wires, and the airplane impacted terrain at a field adjacent to the airport. Examination of the wreckage by a federal aviation administra tion inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The inspector observed the fuel selector valve in the 'off' position. He did not observe any fuel present in the carburetor bowl or fuel strainer. He added that the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl were not compromised during the accident. He interviewed the rescue personnel, and none of the people interviewed stated that they moved the fuel selector. Additionally, the inspector observed the metal skin, surrounding the fuel selector, buckled. He did not observe any scrape marks near the fuel selector. When he asked the pilot about the position of the fuel selector prior to takeoff, the pilot could not remember the position.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED AT THE NEW CASTLE AIRPORT DUE TO UNKN CIRCUMSTANCES, SOLE OCCUPANT AIRLIFTED TO LOCAL HOSPITAL, 1 SERIOUS INJURY. (-23) ON JULY 3, 1999, AT 1421 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18-150, N4494Z WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF AT NEW CASTLE AIRPORT, NEW CASTLE, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, MR. CHARLES SHUFFLER, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT IN PREPARATION OF TOWING A GLIDER. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR OPERATION UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE GRASS RUNWAY AND ASCENDED APPROX. 100 FEET. THE WITNESS HEARD A DECREASE IN THE ENGINE NOISE, AS IF THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE. THE PILOT MADE A LEFT TURN TO AVOID UTILITY WIRES AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A FIELD APPROX. 100 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY. A LARGE TREE AT THE END OF RUNWAY 18 WAS STRUCK A GLANCING BLOW PRIOR TO IMPACT. (.4) AFTER TAKEOFF, APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT MADE A LEFT TURN TO AVOID UTILITY WIRES, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN AT A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRA TION INSPECTOR DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE INSPECTOR OBSERVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY FUEL PRESENT IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL OR FUEL STRAINER. HE ADDED THAT THE FUEL STRAINER AND CARBURETOR BOWL WERE NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE ACCIDENT. HE INTERVIEWED THE RESCUE PERSONNEL, AND NONE OF THE PEOPLE INTERVIEWED STATED THAT THEY MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE INSPECTOR OBSERVED THE METAL SKIN, SURROUNDING THE FUEL SELECTOR, BUCKLED. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY SCRAPE MARKS NEAR THE FUEL SELECTOR. WHEN HE ASKED THE PILOT ABOUT THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE PILOT COULD NOT REMEMBER THE POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.