What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The airplane made an off airport forced landing following a loss of engine power immediately after departure. After takeoff, upon reaching 300 to 400 feet above ground level (AGL), the engine experienced a rapid loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane in a gliding configuration and, after determining that the airplane was unable to reach airport, opted to perform a forced landing in a dry riverbed. While in the landing flare, the airplane collided with vegetation and came to an abrupt stop after impacting a large bush. A review of the airplane's maintenance records disclosed that the engine had a history of ongoing problems with the idle mixture. In an effort to address those problems, the operator had the carburetor overhauled about a week prior to the accident. The mixture discrepancy occurred again following the carburetor overhaul. After the accident, an engine examination revealed that spark plugs from the number one cylinder, as well as the top number two plug, appeared dark and sooty, with the bottom number two plug being oily. In addition, the bottom number three and four plugs were covered in lead deposits. Investigators performed an engine run, whre it accelerated up to 1,600 revolutions per minute (RPM) and, despite black smoke emitting from the exhaust stack, ran smoothly; after leaning out the mixture, it accelerated up to 2,100 RPM and the exhaust cleared. A detailed examination of the carburetor revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies other than an excessively low idle fuel flow.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRPLANE MADE AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTURE. AFTER TAKEOFF, UPON REACHING 300 TO 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A RAPID LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE IN A GLIDING CONFIGURATION AND, AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO REACH AIRPORT, OPTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDING IN A DRY RIVERBED. WHILE IN THE LANDING FLARE, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH VEGETATION AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AFTER IMPACTING A LARGE BUSH. A REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A HISTORY OF ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE IDLE MIXTURE. IN AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS, THE OPERATOR HAD THE CARBURETOR OVERHAULED ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE MIXTURE DISCREPANCY OCCURRED AGAIN FOLLOWING THE CARBURETOR OVERHAUL. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AN ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT SPARK PLUGS FROM THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER, AS WELL AS THE TOP NUMBER TWO PLUG, APPEARED DARK AND SOOTY, WITH THE BOTTOM NUMBER TWO PLUG BEING OILY. IN ADDITION, THE BOTTOM NUMBER THREE AND FOUR PLUGS WERE COVERED IN LEAD DEPOSITS. INVESTIGATORS PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN, WHRE IT ACCELERATED UP TO 1,600 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (RPM) AND, DESPITE BLACK SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST STACK, RAN SMOOTHLY; AFTER LEANING OUT THE MIXTURE, IT ACCELERATED UP TO 2,100 RPM AND THE EXHAUST CLEARED. A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR ANOMALIES OTHER THAN AN EXCESSIVELY LOW IDLE FUEL FLOW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.