What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot experienced slight vibration/buffeting in flight. Elected to make precautionary landing to check out the problem. After landing the pilot ran the engine for approx. 30 seconds and noticed no problems. On the subsequent downwind takeoff, the pilot states he lost RPM. The aircraft then settled, caught a wingtip on the ground and cartwheeled. (.19) on October 09, 2002, about 1200 pacific daylight time, an unregistered rans, inc., model xp, pitched nose down and impacted the terrain during takeoff in the san luis national wildlife refuge near los banos, California. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot and his pilot passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed the harris ranch airport about 0930, en route to the turlock (private) ultralight airstrip. The airplane made a precautionary landing in the refuge about 1 minute before the accident takeoff. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. According to the pilot, he felt a buffeting in the airplane about 1 1/2 hours into the fligh t and the engine RPM began to overaccelerate, "run away." He set the airplane down in a dry clearing, which had recently been flattened by the U.S. Fish and wildlife service. After performing an engine check (running it) on the ground and noting no abnormalities, the pilot attempted to fly the airplane back to his intended destination. Just after the takeoff rotation, the airplane lost forward thrust and pitched down, catching the nose and wing on the ground. The airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. Both occupants then exited the airplane safely. A department of interior officer witnessed the accident and reported that the airplane took off downwind.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT EXPERIENCED SLIGHT VIBRATION/BUFFETING IN FLIGHT. ELECTED TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT RAN THE ENGINE FOR APPROX. 30 SECONDS AND NOTICED NO PROBLEMS. ON THE SUBSEQUENT DOWNWIND TAKEOFF, THE PILOT STATES HE LOST RPM. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED, CAUGHT A WINGTIP ON THE GROUND AND CARTWHEELED. (.19) ON OCTOBER 09, 2002, ABOUT 1200 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN UNREGISTERED RANS, INC., MODEL XP, PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF IN THE SAN LUIS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE NEAR LOS BANOS, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT AND HIS PILOT PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED THE HARRIS RANCH AIRPORT ABOUT 0930, EN ROUTE TO THE TURLOCK (PRIVATE) ULTRALIGHT AIRSTRIP. THE AIRPLANE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE REFUGE ABOUT 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TAKEOFF. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE FELT A BUFFETING IN THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS INTO THE FLIGH T AND THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO OVERACCELERATE, "RUN AWAY." HE SET THE AIRPLANE DOWN IN A DRY CLEARING, WHICH HAD RECENTLY BEEN FLATTENED BY THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. AFTER PERFORMING AN ENGINE CHECK (RUNNING IT) ON THE GROUND AND NOTING NO ABNORMALITIES, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. JUST AFTER THE TAKEOFF ROTATION, THE AIRPLANE LOST FORWARD THRUST AND PITCHED DOWN, CATCHING THE NOSE AND WING ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. BOTH OCCUPANTS THEN EXITED THE AIRPLANE SAFELY. A DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR OFFICER WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF DOWNWIND.