What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Read my attached ptrs transmittal WP11200101522 record first for details. There is the possibility that this pilot might have taken off on a low fuel tank and then not have had enough altitude for the engine to restart when he switched to another tank. The FAA conducted an examination of the engine without running it or disassembling it and did not find anything abnormal. The fuel injection is lost in the lake and that hampered our investigation. Eventually the owner of the engine will disassemble it and may find the cause of the power failure and file a malfunction or defect report. (.4) the single engine aircraft lost power at 150 feet AGL on takeoff climb and subsequently ditched in a lake off the end of the runway. The aircraft had four fuel tanks that could be individually selected to supply fuel to the engine. The pilot reported fueling the four tanks to capacity on the morning of the accident and then flying three unremarkable flights that consumed about 50 percent of the total fuel. He reported the airplane and engine flew fine and there was no indication of any developing problems with the engine. The pilot said the takeoff on which the accident occurred was routi NE, the engine was smooth and powerful, and all the instruments were in their normal operating ranges. The fuel selector was on the right tank and there was about 17 gallons fuel in that tank. When about 150 feet AGL, he reduced the propeller RPM and, at that time, the engine started "cutting out." It never totally quit. He verified that the fuel boost pump was on, and recalled that the fuel pressure gauge and oil pressure gauge were in the green arc. He changed fuel tanks but had no more time to attempt to restart the engine before ditching. The second pilot reported that he believed the engine "picked up" again just before they ditched in the lake. Examination of the aircraft and engine after recovery from the lake failed to reveal any mechanical irregularity. The carburetor was lost in the lake during recovery and was not found.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) READ MY ATTACHED PTRS TRANSMITTAL WP11200101522 RECORD FIRST FOR DETAILS. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS PILOT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN OFF ON A LOW FUEL TANK AND THEN NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH ALTITUDE FOR THE ENGINE TO RESTART WHEN HE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER TANK. THE FAA CONDUCTED AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT RUNNING IT OR DISASSEMBLING IT AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING ABNORMAL. THE FUEL INJECTION IS LOST IN THE LAKE AND THAT HAMPERED OUR INVESTIGATION. EVENTUALLY THE OWNER OF THE ENGINE WILL DISASSEMBLE IT AND MAY FIND THE CAUSE OF THE POWER FAILURE AND FILE A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT. (.4) THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AT 150 FEET AGL ON TAKEOFF CLIMB AND SUBSEQUENTLY DITCHED IN A LAKE OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FOUR FUEL TANKS THAT COULD BE INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORTED FUELING THE FOUR TANKS TO CAPACITY ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT AND THEN FLYING THREE UNREMARKABLE FLIGHTS THAT CONSUMED ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FUEL. HE REPORTED THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE FLEW FINE AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY DEVELOPING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SAID THE TAKEOFF ON WHICH THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WAS ROUTI NE, THE ENGINE WAS SMOOTH AND POWERFUL, AND ALL THE INSTRUMENTS WERE IN THEIR NORMAL OPERATING RANGES. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK AND THERE WAS ABOUT 17 GALLONS FUEL IN THAT TANK. WHEN ABOUT 150 FEET AGL, HE REDUCED THE PROPELLER RPM AND, AT THAT TIME, THE ENGINE STARTED "CUTTING OUT." IT NEVER TOTALLY QUIT. HE VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS ON, AND RECALLED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WERE IN THE GREEN ARC. HE CHANGED FUEL TANKS BUT HAD NO MORE TIME TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE BEFORE DITCHING. THE SECOND PILOT REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVED THE ENGINE "PICKED UP" AGAIN JUST BEFORE THEY DITCHED IN THE LAKE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE AFTER RECOVERY FROM THE LAKE FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY. THE CARBURETOR WAS LOST IN THE LAKE DURING RECOVERY AND WAS NOT FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.