What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) Witnesses heard the engines sputtering as the airplane started its takeoff roll and accelerated on the runway. The flight reached an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet above ground level, when the right engine lost power. The pilot could not maintain altitude, he feathered the right engine, turned the airplane right about 100 degrees, and attempted a forced landing in a pasture. The landing gear was down and locked, the airplane stalled, and impacted the ground right wing and nose low. The investigation revealed sufficient fuel. Engine test runs revealed that both engines ran without discrepancies except for some intermittent roughness and missing during the right engine run. Examination of the right magneto revealed frayed and broken insulation on the "p" lead. Internal examination of left magneto revealed that the advance spark system wire was chaffed through and making some contact with the normal points circuit at the normal point condenser connection. It was determined by those present at the right engine run, that under running conditions, a possible grounding short of the normal points operation could have occurred at this location. At the time of the accident the pilot reported that he had a total flight time in all aircraft of about 2,960 hours. In addition, he reported 96 total hours in muti-engine aircraft, and 41 hours in this make and model.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINES SPUTTERING AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED ITS TAKEOFF ROLL AND ACCELERATED ON THE RUNWAY. THE FLIGHT REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE, TURNED THE AIRPLANE RIGHT ABOUT 100 DEGREES, AND ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A PASTURE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, THE AIRPLANE STALLED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND RIGHT WING AND NOSE LOW. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED SUFFICIENT FUEL. ENGINE TEST RUNS REVEALED THAT BOTH ENGINES RAN WITHOUT DISCREPANCIES EXCEPT FOR SOME INTERMITTENT ROUGHNESS AND MISSING DURING THE RIGHT ENGINE RUN. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAGNETO REVEALED FRAYED AND BROKEN INSULATION ON THE "P" LEAD. INTERNAL EXAMINATION OF LEFT MAGNETO REVEALED THAT THE ADVANCE SPARK SYSTEM WIRE WAS CHAFFED THROUGH AND MAKING SOME CONTACT WITH THE NORMAL POINTS CIRCUIT AT THE NORMAL POINT CONDENSER CONNECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THOSE PRESENT AT THE RIGHT ENGINE RUN, THAT UNDER RUNNING CONDITIONS, A POSSIBLE GROUNDING SHORT OF THE NORMAL POINTS OPERATION COULD HAVE OCCURRED AT THIS LOCATION. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME IN ALL AIRCRAFT OF ABOUT 2,960 HOURS. IN ADDITION, HE REPORTED 96 TOTAL HOURS IN MUTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT, AND 41 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.