What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At approx. 1700 CST, on December 8, 1999. A grummann AA-5, N5864L, registered toprivacy data omitted,crashed immediately after take off from the st. elmoe county airport in st. elmoe, Alabama. On board was the pilot and one passenger. The pilot reported that the a/c climber to about 300' and began to sputter. He tried to turn back to the runway but could not make it so he crashed into a cotton field adjacent to the runway. The investigation is ongoing in conjunction with the NTSB. (.4)during preflight, slight amount of water noted in right wing and sump tanks. No water noted in left wing or sump tanks. Engine start/run-up, uneventful. After takeoff about 300 feet AGL near the departure end of the runway, the engine began to 'sputter.' Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. While maneuvering for a forced landing, the airplane pitched nose down and impacted a cotton field. Water was found in the carburetor bowl. An incorrect fuel drain valve by part number and design was installed in the right wing fuel tank; no determination made when the valve was installed. Testing on a same make and model airplane using an exemplar of th e fuel drain valve found installed in the right fuel tank revealed .99 pound of fuel remained in the tank and could not be drained. All fuel could be drained with the airplane manufacturer specified drain valve installed. The airplane sat for a couple of months before the accident date with the right tank not topped; the left tank was full. The airplane was out of annual inspection. Additionally, the pilot's medical certificate was expired, and he could not produce the date of his last biennial flight review.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT APPROX. 1700 CST, ON DECEMBER 8, 1999. A GRUMMANN AA-5, N5864L, REGISTERED TO^PRIVACY DATA OMI^,CRASHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE ST. ELMOE COUNTY AIRPORT IN ST. ELMOE, ALABAMA. ON BOARD WAS THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE A/C CLIMBER TO ABOUT 300' AND BEGAN TO SPUTTER. HE TRIED TO TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY BUT COULD NOT MAKE IT SO HE CRASHED INTO A COTTON FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NTSB. (.4)DURING PREFLIGHT, SLIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER NOTED IN RIGHT WING AND SUMP TANKS. NO WATER NOTED IN LEFT WING OR SUMP TANKS. ENGINE START/RUN-UP, UNEVENTFUL. AFTER TAKEOFF ABOUT 300 FEET AGL NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO 'SPUTTER.' ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED A COTTON FIELD. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. AN INCORRECT FUEL DRAIN VALVE BY PART NUMBER AND DESIGN WAS INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK; NO DETERMINATION MADE WHEN THE VALVE WAS INSTALLED. TESTING ON A SAME MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE USING AN EXEMPLAR OF TH E FUEL DRAIN VALVE FOUND INSTALLED IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK REVEALED .99 POUND OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANK AND COULD NOT BE DRAINED. ALL FUEL COULD BE DRAINED WITH THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER SPECIFIED DRAIN VALVE INSTALLED. THE AIRPLANE SAT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DATE WITH THE RIGHT TANK NOT TOPPED; THE LEFT TANK WAS FULL. THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS EXPIRED, AND HE COULD NOT PRODUCE THE DATE OF HIS LAST BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.