What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During takeoff from runway 01 at Republic Airport (frg) in Farmingdale, NY, with two passengers on board, Piper, PA-28-151, N18AV, lost engine power at approximately 150-200 feet AGL, at an airspeed of approximately 65 mph. The pilot, Mr. Carlos c. leon made a sharp left turn in an attempt to return to the airport. A reliable witness stated the bank angle was in excess of 45 degrees. The wings were leveled and the aircraft was in a steep pitch down attitude when the right wing struck a 50 ft. light pole in a nearby mall parking lot, which sheared approximately 4.5 feet off the right wing tip. The aircraft began to "cartwheel", struck a chain link fence and impacted the side of a hill in a drainage sump before settling partially in the water at the bottom of the sump. The pilot was thrown clear of the wreckage. The left seat passenger, privacy data omitted a prospective flight student and privacy data omitted who was in the rear seat, were still in the aircraft. All on board sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 01 AT REPUBLIC AIRPORT (FRG) IN FARMINGDALE, NY, WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD, PIPER, PA-28-151, N18AV, LOST ENGINE POWER AT APPROXIMATELY 150-200 FEET AGL, AT AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE PILOT, MR. CARLOS C. LEON MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. A RELIABLE WITNESS STATED THE BANK ANGLE WAS IN EXCESS OF 45 DEGREES. THE WINGS WERE LEVELED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A STEEP PITCH DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A 50 FT. LIGHT POLE IN A NEARBY MALL PARKING LOT, WHICH SHEARED APPROXIMATELY 4.5 FEET OFF THE RIGHT WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO "CARTWHEEL", STRUCK A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF A HILL IN A DRAINAGE SUMP BEFORE SETTLING PARTIALLY IN THE WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SUMP. THE PILOT WAS THROWN CLEAR OF THE WRECKAGE. THE LEFT SEAT PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ A PROSPECTIVE FLIGHT STUDENT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS IN THE REAR SEAT, WERE STILL IN THE AIRCRAFT. ALL ON BOARD SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.