What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The a/c was observed by a tower controller on the upsind leg following a touch and go landing on rwy 19, to climb to approx. 200 feet then when near the departure end of the runway, the a/c was observed to bank to the left, pitch nose down, then the tower controller lost sight due to obstructions. A witness near the accident site reported hearing the engine sputtering and another witness reported that there was no engine sound during the descent. The crash site which was on property leased to the Smyrna municipal golf course, was located approx 1,100 feet south-se from the departure end of rwy 19. (.4) two days before the accident, the CFI and pilot-rated left seat occupant were unable to keep the engine running after starting before a flight; the fuel selector valve was found in the "off" position. The airplane was flown between then and the accident date 1.5 hours with no maintenance or discrepancies noted. The pilot-rated occupant was notified of the fuel selector finding before the accident flight and offered to be checked out; he refused. The engine quit after starting on the accident date but was restarted. A witness saw confusion on the left seat occupants face while looking at the engine gauges following the engine quitting. He also saw him moving the fuel selector handle. During climbout following a touch-and-go landing, witnesses heard the engine sputtering and observed the airplane roll to the left and pitch nose down. Browning of grass forward of each wing fuel tank was noted; 4 gallons of fuel drained from the right fuel tank. Examination of the engine and flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Approximately 2 ounces of fuel were found in the carburetor bowl; the flexible hose from the engine driven fuel pump to the carburetor was dry. The fuel selector valve was found not in a detent but near one of the "off" positions. The arrow on the fuel selector handle which points to the tank selected was found to be painted red contrary to the engineering drawing. Fuel selector handles from airplanes flown by the pilot-rated left seat occupant consisted of the longer end pointing to the tank selected. The pilot-rated left seat occupant and CFI had no recorded flight experience in the airplane. Impact signatures on the co-pilot's control column correlate to a right roll and aft elevator input.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE A/C WAS OBSERVED BY A TOWER CONTROLLER ON THE UPSIND LEG FOLLOWING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING ON RWY 19, TO CLIMB TO APPROX. 200 FEET THEN WHEN NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE A/C WAS OBSERVED TO BANK TO THE LEFT, PITCH NOSE DOWN, THEN THE TOWER CONTROLLER LOST SIGHT DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE SOUND DURING THE DESCENT. THE CRASH SITE WHICH WAS ON PROPERTY LEASED TO THE SMYRNA MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE, WAS LOCATED APPROX 1,100 FEET SOUTH-SE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 19. (.4) TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CFI AND PILOT-RATED LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT WERE UNABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING AFTER STARTING BEFORE A FLIGHT; THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE "OFF" POSITION. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN BETWEEN THEN AND THE ACCIDENT DATE 1.5 HOURS WITH NO MAINTENANCE OR DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE PILOT-RATED OCCUPANT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FUEL SELECTOR FINDING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT AND OFFERED TO BE CHECKED OUT; HE REFUSED. THE ENGINE QUIT AFTER STARTING ON THE ACCIDENT DATE BUT WAS RESTARTED. A WITNESS SAW CONFUSION ON THE LEFT SEAT OCCUPANTS FACE WHILE LOOKING AT THE ENGINE GAUGES FOLLOWING THE ENGINE QUITTING. HE ALSO SAW HIM MOVING THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE. DURING CLIMBOUT FOLLOWING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ROLL TO THE LEFT AND PITCH NOSE DOWN. BROWNING OF GRASS FORWARD OF EACH WING FUEL TANK WAS NOTED; 4 GALLONS OF FUEL DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. APPROXIMATELY 2 OUNCES OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL; THE FLEXIBLE HOSE FROM THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP TO THE CARBURETOR WAS DRY. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND NOT IN A DETENT BUT NEAR ONE OF THE "OFF" POSITIONS. THE ARROW ON THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WHICH POINTS TO THE TANK SELECTED WAS FOUND TO BE PAINTED RED CONTRARY TO THE ENGINEERING DRAWING. FUEL SELECTOR HANDLES FROM AIRPLANES FLOWN BY THE PILOT-RATED LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT CONSISTED OF THE LONGER END POINTING TO THE TANK SELECTED. THE PILOT-RATED LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT AND CFI HAD NO RECORDED FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE. IMPACT SIGNATURES ON THE CO-PILOT'S CONTROL COLUMN CORRELATE TO A RIGHT ROLL AND AFT ELEVATOR INPUT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.