What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft experienced engine failure and made an emergency landing on a highway, other circumstances are unknown. (.19)on July 4, 1999, at 1400 central daylight time, a pitts special S-1C aerobatic airplane, N69CS, was substantially damaged during impact with power lines following a reported loss of power after takeoff from the Draughon-Miller central Texas regional airport mear Temple, Texas. The private pilot, sole occupant and part owner of the airplane, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological condtions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated about 1215. According to the FAA inspector whovisited the accident site, the pilot flew the airplane in the local area for 1.8 hours, then returned to the airport to practice touch and go landings. Shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the airport; however, the airplane was unable to clear some power lines near the approach end of the runway. The airplane struck the power lines, and fell to the ground, impacting with the tail section first. The power line support poles were damaged an d power was cut off to the local area. The FAA inspector stated that the empennage was accordion crushed forward and that there were burn marks on the airplane and propeller spinner. (.4) the experimental amateur-built aerobatic airplane impacted power lines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that after 1.8 hours of flight and 3 miles from his destination airport the 'engine stopped.' He stated that the fuel pressure gauge was indicating 'no pressure.' The pilot then turned on the fuel boost pump and ensured the mixture was rich, the throttle was full open, and the fuel selector was in the on position. He elected to make a forced landing to a field. During the emergency approach to the field, the engine 'began to run again;' however, it ran for only 30 to 45 seconds. The pilot then attempted a forced landing on a road, and the airplane impacted power lines, which the pilot stated that he 'never saw.' The FAA inspector reported that the main fuel tank contained approximately 4 gallons of fuel, and there was no header tank installed. Without a header tank, the airplane's unusable fuel while maneuvering is 5 gallons. (-23) the aircraft was returning to temle from a flight to georgetown. Approx 3 miles from Temple airport the engine stopped. The pilot stated that he made an emergency approach to a field and was about 520 feet AGL when the engine began to run again. The pilot decided to try to make Temple, but the engine only ran for about 30 to 45 seconds. The pilot stated that this botched his approach into the field and left him no alternative but to land on a road. He stated he made a 90 degree turn to land on a road. He hit a power line, that he said he never saw.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A HIGHWAY, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19)ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PITTS SPECIAL S-1C AEROBATIC AIRPLANE, N69CS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT WITH POWER LINES FOLLOWING A REPORTED LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DRAUGHON-MILLER CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT MEAR TEMPLE, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT AND PART OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1215. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR WHOVISITED THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR 1.8 HOURS, THEN RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR SOME POWER LINES NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE POWER LINES, AND FELL TO THE GROUND, IMPACTING WITH THE TAIL SECTION FIRST. THE POWER LINE SUPPORT POLES WERE DAMAGED AN D POWER WAS CUT OFF TO THE LOCAL AREA. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE EMPENNAGE WAS ACCORDION CRUSHED FORWARD AND THAT THERE WERE BURN MARKS ON THE AIRPLANE AND PROPELLER SPINNER. (.4) THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AEROBATIC AIRPLANE IMPACTED POWER LINES DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER 1.8 HOURS OF FLIGHT AND 3 MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT THE 'ENGINE STOPPED.' HE STATED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS INDICATING 'NO PRESSURE.' THE PILOT THEN TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP AND ENSURED THE MIXTURE WAS RICH, THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE ON POSITION. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE EMERGENCY APPROACH TO THE FIELD, THE ENGINE 'BEGAN TO RUN AGAIN;' HOWEVER, IT RAN FOR ONLY 30 TO 45 SECONDS. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED POWER LINES, WHICH THE PILOT STATED THAT HE 'NEVER SAW.' THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE MAIN FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 4 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND THERE WAS NO HEADER TANK INSTALLED. WITHOUT A HEADER TANK, THE AIRPLANE'S UNUSABLE FUEL WHILE MANEUVERING IS 5 GALLONS. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING TO TEMLE FROM A FLIGHT TO GEORGETOWN. APPROX 3 MILES FROM TEMPLE AIRPORT THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE AN EMERGENCY APPROACH TO A FIELD AND WAS ABOUT 520 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN AGAIN. THE PILOT DECIDED TO TRY TO MAKE TEMPLE, BUT THE ENGINE ONLY RAN FOR ABOUT 30 TO 45 SECONDS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THIS BOTCHED HIS APPROACH INTO THE FIELD AND LEFT HIM NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO LAND ON A ROAD. HE STATED HE MADE A 90 DEGREE TURN TO LAND ON A ROAD. HE HIT A POWER LINE, THAT HE SAID HE NEVER SAW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.