What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At 1240 on 12/08/00 the pilot took off from Salt Lake City airport #2 on runway 16. After becoming airborne the a/c was unable to gain altitude. The a/c struck the facia of a commercial building, traveled across a street, struck power lines and then hit the ground in the middle of a vacant field. The collision with the power lines dislodged the a/c landing gear. The collision with the ground was in a left wing low, nose down, upright position. The ground impact tore loose the a/c engine and fuel tank. There was no post crash fire. Investigation revealed excessive carbon buildup in the engine exhaust's system due to an excessively rich fuel mixture possibly due to: 1) carburetor icing (temp 4, dewpoint -1). The pilot applied carburetor heat just before impact-too late to have an effect if icing was present. 2) the fixed-pitch propeller specified in the a/c manufacturing plans was substituted by a ground adjustable propeller. The propeller blade angle may not have been adjusted to provide adequate engine RPM and power for takeoff and climb phases of flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT 1240 ON 12/08/00 THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT #2 ON RUNWAY 16. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE THE A/C WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE. THE A/C STRUCK THE FACIA OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING, TRAVELED ACROSS A STREET, STRUCK POWER LINES AND THEN HIT THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF A VACANT FIELD. THE COLLISION WITH THE POWER LINES DISLODGED THE A/C LANDING GEAR. THE COLLISION WITH THE GROUND WAS IN A LEFT WING LOW, NOSE DOWN, UPRIGHT POSITION. THE GROUND IMPACT TORE LOOSE THE A/C ENGINE AND FUEL TANK. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE EXHAUST'S SYSTEM DUE TO AN EXCESSIVELY RICH FUEL MIXTURE POSSIBLY DUE TO: 1) CARBURETOR ICING (TEMP 4, DEWPOINT -1). THE PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT JUST BEFORE IMPACT-TOO LATE TO HAVE AN EFFECT IF ICING WAS PRESENT. 2) THE FIXED-PITCH PROPELLER SPECIFIED IN THE A/C MANUFACTURING PLANS WAS SUBSTITUTED BY A GROUND ADJUSTABLE PROPELLER. THE PROPELLER BLADE ANGLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ENGINE RPM AND POWER FOR TAKEOFF AND CLIMB PHASES OF FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.