What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power on take-off and crashed, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on July 7, 1999, approximately 1600 pacific daylight time, a williamson/williamson RV-4 amateur-built airplane, N6NW, experienced a loss of engine power on departure from North Bend, Oregon, and was substantially damaged in the ensuing forced landing near coos bay, Oregon. The commercial pilot-in-command, who was the aircraft's builder, received serious injuries in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 personal flight. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he believed there were 6 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 16 gallons in the right tank at the time of departure. The pilot reported that at the time the engine lost power, about 1,000 feet above ground level, the engine was running on the left tank. The pilot reported that after the engine lost power, he switched to the right tank and turned the boost pumps on, but the engine did not start. In the forced landing attempt, the aircraft struck a post and a barbed-wire fence. The FAA inspector assigned to investigate the accident reported that in an inspection of the a ircraft's fuel tanks, he could neither see nor smell any fuel in the aircraft's left tank, but that the right tank, which was breached, did contain fuel which spilled out when the aircraft was lifted. The FAA inspector reported that the accident aircraft had recently undergone a required condition inspection. At 1555, North Bend reported a temperature of 17 degrees c and a dewpoint of 9 degrees c. (-23)a/c had engine failure on departure from North Bend, OR. And crashed. On departure, pilot selected fuel tank and experienced engine failure. Pilot stated he then selected the right full tank at 1000 feet AGL and was unable to restart engine. When the inspector arrived on-scene, the left tank had no gas and the right tank was seeping gas. Post crash investigation revealed that the fuel selector was in the off position rather than in the right tank position. On this a/c, the left tank position is on the left, teh right tank position is on the bottom and the off position are on the top and the right.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER ON TAKE-OFF AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 7, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1600 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A WILLIAMSON/WILLIAMSON RV-4 AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N6NW, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON DEPARTURE FROM NORTH BEND, OREGON, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING NEAR COOS BAY, OREGON. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT-IN-COMMAND, WHO WAS THE AIRCRAFT'S BUILDER, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE BELIEVED THERE WERE 6 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND 16 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME THE ENGINE LOST POWER, ABOUT 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ON THE LEFT TANK. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER, HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND TURNED THE BOOST PUMPS ON, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START. IN THE FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POST AND A BARBED-WIRE FENCE. THE FAA INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT IN AN INSPECTION OF THE A IRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS, HE COULD NEITHER SEE NOR SMELL ANY FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT TANK, BUT THAT THE RIGHT TANK, WHICH WAS BREACHED, DID CONTAIN FUEL WHICH SPILLED OUT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE A REQUIRED CONDITION INSPECTION. AT 1555, NORTH BEND REPORTED A TEMPERATURE OF 17 DEGREES C AND A DEWPOINT OF 9 DEGREES C. (-23)A/C HAD ENGINE FAILURE ON DEPARTURE FROM NORTH BEND, OR. AND CRASHED. ON DEPARTURE, PILOT SELECTED FUEL TANK AND EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT STATED HE THEN SELECTED THE RIGHT FULL TANK AT 1000 FEET AGL AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART ENGINE. WHEN THE INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON-SCENE, THE LEFT TANK HAD NO GAS AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS SEEPING GAS. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION RATHER THAN IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. ON THIS A/C, THE LEFT TANK POSITION IS ON THE LEFT, TEH RIGHT TANK POSITION IS ON THE BOTTOM AND THE OFF POSITION ARE ON THE TOP AND THE RIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.