What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)On August 20, 2000, at 0923 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt titan tornado, N61246, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, after takeoff from Harrison Field, Libertytown, Maryland. The certificated commercial pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he flew the airplane a day earlier, in a "bomb drop" contest. The goal of the contest was to drop a small bag of flour on a target. During the bomb drop, an engine failure occurred, which resulted in a forced landing to a field. The airplane was trucked back to the originating airfield, and the pilot spent the rest of the afternoon trying to troubleshoot the engine failure. He removed the fuel filter, and had "moderate difficulty blowing through it." He thought that a fuel additive, poured into the fuel tanks prior to the flight, could have contributed to the filter blockage. He replaced the filter, pulled and checked the spark plugs, and hand-turned the engine numerous times, "for anything out of the ordinary". On the day of the accident, the pilot refuled the airplane, and decided to conduct a test flight prior to flying home to Virginia. Just after takeoff, the engine failed again. The pilot immediately lowered the nose of the airplane to gain airspeed. He then looked for a field to land in, but could only see trees. The last thing he remembered about the flight, was making a turn for about 160 degrees. He then remembered waking up while several people were extracting him from the airplane. The airplane had been powered by a 2-cycle, 2-cylinder Rotax 618 engine. On November 28, 2000, two safety board investigators and a representative from the engine manufacturer traveled to the pilot's home in Virginia, where the airplane had been moved, and performed an engine examination. (-23) at about 500 feet on take-off engine failed. Operator tried to land in a bean field and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)ON AUGUST 20, 2000, AT 0923 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT TITAN TORNADO, N61246, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING, AFTER TAKEOFF FROM HARRISON FIELD, LIBERTYTOWN, MARYLAND. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE A DAY EARLIER, IN A "BOMB DROP" CONTEST. THE GOAL OF THE CONTEST WAS TO DROP A SMALL BAG OF FLOUR ON A TARGET. DURING THE BOMB DROP, AN ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED, WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE WAS TRUCKED BACK TO THE ORIGINATING AIRFIELD, AND THE PILOT SPENT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ENGINE FAILURE. HE REMOVED THE FUEL FILTER, AND HAD "MODERATE DIFFICULTY BLOWING THROUGH IT." HE THOUGHT THAT A FUEL ADDITIVE, POURED INTO THE FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FILTER BLOCKAGE. HE REPLACED THE FILTER, PULLED AND CHECKED THE SPARK PLUGS, AND HAND-TURNED THE ENGINE NUMEROUS TIMES, "FOR ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY". ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REFULED THE AIRPLANE, AND DECIDED TO CONDUCT A TEST FLIGHT PRIOR TO FLYING HOME TO VIRGINIA. JUST AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO GAIN AIRSPEED. HE THEN LOOKED FOR A FIELD TO LAND IN, BUT COULD ONLY SEE TREES. THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERED ABOUT THE FLIGHT, WAS MAKING A TURN FOR ABOUT 160 DEGREES. HE THEN REMEMBERED WAKING UP WHILE SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE EXTRACTING HIM FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN POWERED BY A 2-CYCLE, 2-CYLINDER ROTAX 618 ENGINE. ON NOVEMBER 28, 2000, TWO SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER TRAVELED TO THE PILOT'S HOME IN VIRGINIA, WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN MOVED, AND PERFORMED AN ENGINE EXAMINATION. (-23) AT ABOUT 500 FEET ON TAKE-OFF ENGINE FAILED. OPERATOR TRIED TO LAND IN A BEAN FIELD AND CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.