What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The airplane took off towards the south, climbed to 50-100 feet, just over the tree line, and began a circling turn to the right. The airplane completed 360 degrees of the turn, and was 10-15 degrees nose high, when the nose dropped and the airplane descended at a 60 degree nose down attitude. Examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical deficiencies. Examination of the propeller revealed that one blade was broken aft in the opposite direction of rotation, and one blade was broken straight back towards the engine. A sample of fuel was drained from the airplane's fuel strainer bowl after the accident; it was green in color, cloudy, and resembled 'muddy water.' The fuel also contained unidentified debris. The airplane was last fueled with 9 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline on October 17, 1999, and there was no record of it being flown since that date. (-23) pilot departed field in southerly direction and appeared to level off approximately 150' AGL as he circled field to the right, he continued circling around the field overflying the owner's (witness) home until completing almost 360 degrees of turn. At that point, he was observed to come out of a steep turn (approx. 45 degrees) and during a climbing turn, the aircraft immediately stalled and came almot straight down.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF TOWARDS THE SOUTH, CLIMBED TO 50-100 FEET, JUST OVER THE TREE LINE, AND BEGAN A CIRCLING TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE COMPLETED 360 DEGREES OF THE TURN, AND WAS 10-15 DEGREES NOSE HIGH, WHEN THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AT A 60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER REVEALED THAT ONE BLADE WAS BROKEN AFT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, AND ONE BLADE WAS BROKEN STRAIGHT BACK TOWARDS THE ENGINE. A SAMPLE OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL STRAINER BOWL AFTER THE ACCIDENT; IT WAS GREEN IN COLOR, CLOUDY, AND RESEMBLED 'MUDDY WATER.' THE FUEL ALSO CONTAINED UNIDENTIFIED DEBRIS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FUELED WITH 9 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE ON OCTOBER 17, 1999, AND THERE WAS NO RECORD OF IT BEING FLOWN SINCE THAT DATE. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED FIELD IN SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AND APPEARED TO LEVEL OFF APPROXIMATELY 150' AGL AS HE CIRCLED FIELD TO THE RIGHT, HE CONTINUED CIRCLING AROUND THE FIELD OVERFLYING THE OWNER'S (WITNESS) HOME UNTIL COMPLETING ALMOST 360 DEGREES OF TURN. AT THAT POINT, HE WAS OBSERVED TO COME OUT OF A STEEP TURN (APPROX. 45 DEGREES) AND DURING A CLIMBING TURN, THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY STALLED AND CAME ALMOT STRAIGHT DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.