What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On may 23, 2002, at 1930 eastern daylight time, a stearman A75N1, N5545F, registered to and owned by the pilot, impacted runway 18 shortly after takeoff from Wakulla County Airport in Panacea, Florida. The pleasure flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airline transport pilot and his passenger received no injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed Panacea, Florida, at 1928. According to the pilot, no abnormalities were noted during preflight or run up. The pilot taxied the airplane onto the runway and initiated a normal takeoff. All engine instruments were in the normal operating range, and the airplane rotated less than halfway down the 2785-foot runway. When the airplane was approximately 100 feet above the ground, the engine began to lose power and subsequently quit. The pilot elected to attempt a landing on the remaining runway. The airplane collided with the runway in a 35- to 40-degree nose-down attitude. (-23) pilot reported he prepared the aircraft for a flight. The aircraft had approximately 30 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot taxied out and performed a run up of the aircraft checking the magnetos and propeller action. The pilot stated there were no problems with the run up and both magnetos and propeller checked good. The pilot then took off and at between 150 and 200 feet the engine had a loss of power. The pilot then proceeded to pump the throttle but this was met with no reaction from the engine. The investigation revealed there were no problems with the carburetor. The investigation went further to examine the fuel shut off valve. The shut off valve lever in the cockpit indicated the fuel valve was opening fully, but the fuel valve itself was actually only moving approximately 35 degrees of travel when it takes 90 degrees of travel to be fully open. With the valve only opening approximately half way the fuel supply to the engine was restricted. The fuel valve was not opening fully due to excessive free play in the linkage going from the fuel valve selector in the cockpit to the fuel selector valve itself.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MAY 23, 2002, AT 1930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A STEARMAN A75N1, N5545F, REGISTERED TO AND OWNED BY THE PILOT, IMPACTED RUNWAY 18 SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM WAKULLA COUNTY AIRPORT IN PANACEA, FLORIDA. THE PLEASURE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED PANACEA, FLORIDA, AT 1928. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED DURING PREFLIGHT OR RUN UP. THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE RUNWAY AND INITIATED A NORMAL TAKEOFF. ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE IN THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGE, AND THE AIRPLANE ROTATED LESS THAN HALFWAY DOWN THE 2785-FOOT RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY IN A 35- TO 40-DEGREE NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. (-23) PILOT REPORTED HE PREPARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 30 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT TAXIED OUT AND PERFORMED A RUN UP OF THE AIRCRAFT CHECKING THE MAGNETOS AND PROPELLER ACTION. THE PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE RUN UP AND BOTH MAGNETOS AND PROPELLER CHECKED GOOD. THE PILOT THEN TOOK OFF AND AT BETWEEN 150 AND 200 FEET THE ENGINE HAD A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO PUMP THE THROTTLE BUT THIS WAS MET WITH NO REACTION FROM THE ENGINE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CARBURETOR. THE INVESTIGATION WENT FURTHER TO EXAMINE THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE. THE SHUT OFF VALVE LEVER IN THE COCKPIT INDICATED THE FUEL VALVE WAS OPENING FULLY, BUT THE FUEL VALVE ITSELF WAS ACTUALLY ONLY MOVING APPROXIMATELY 35 DEGREES OF TRAVEL WHEN IT TAKES 90 DEGREES OF TRAVEL TO BE FULLY OPEN. WITH THE VALVE ONLY OPENING APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE WAS RESTRICTED. THE FUEL VALVE WAS NOT OPENING FULLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE FREE PLAY IN THE LINKAGE GOING FROM THE FUEL VALVE SELECTOR IN THE COCKPIT TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE ITSELF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.