What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 9, 2004, at 1605 CDT, a Piper PA-12, N2368M, registered to paul l. behrens, lost power on climb-out after takeoff from runway 18 at Hartford Municipal Airport, Hartford, Wisconsin. The aircraft sustained substantial damage from the resultant forced landing in an open field. The cause of the power loss could not be determined. No aircraft or powerplant system malfunctions were discovered. It is suspected misuse of the fuel selector by the front seat passenger, who was not familiar with the aircraft, positioned the fuel valve in the off position when he was allowed to perform the pretakeoff run-up by the properly rated and current pilot who was in the back seat. The fuel in the header tank would have been enough to perform the takeoff and reach an altitude of approximately 300 feet before being exhausted. The pleasure flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 9, 2004, AT 1605 CDT, A PIPER PA-12, N2368M, REGISTERED TO PAUL L. BEHRENS, LOST POWER ON CLIMB-OUT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 18 AT HARTFORD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HARTFORD, WISCONSIN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THE RESULTANT FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. NO AIRCRAFT OR POWERPLANT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WERE DISCOVERED. IT IS SUSPECTED MISUSE OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BY THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER, WHO WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRCRAFT, POSITIONED THE FUEL VALVE IN THE OFF POSITION WHEN HE WAS ALLOWED TO PERFORM THE PRETAKEOFF RUN-UP BY THE PROPERLY RATED AND CURRENT PILOT WHO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. THE FUEL IN THE HEADER TANK WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO PERFORM THE TAKEOFF AND REACH AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET BEFORE BEING EXHAUSTED. THE PLEASURE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2368M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.