What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 9/22/04 at approx. 16:30L, N57003, a stearnum B-75-A75N1 crashed shortly after t/o at Bayport Aerodrome in Bayport, new york. privacy data omitted Was the stated pilot of this a/c and was in the aft seat. privacy data omitted Was the stated passenger in the a/c and was in the forward seat. The a/c took off on runway 18R with an approximately 8 knot nw wind. The pilot stated he climbed to approximately 300' and had full power at about 1800 RPM. He stated he then lost about 300-400 RPM, was unable to return to the runway and reduced power just before the a/c crashed. The a/c came down just east of the airport hitting a tree, a telephone pole, a roof of a house and turning upside down coming to rest on the front lawn at privacy data omitted the a/c airframe was destroyed; the engine was basically intact; the pilot and psgr had minor injuries and no one was injured in the house or on the ground. The a/c had over 30 gallons of fuel that was siphoned from the tank, a fuel sample was taken and no visible water in fuel (av gas). Upon further inspection the following items were found: oil screen clean, no magnetic particles found; carburetor & fuel lines clean, engi NE intact. The front seven engine plugs were pulled and all seven cylinders were checked for compression via thumb check and found to be okay. The rear plugs were also pulled and all 14 plugs were physically inspected and looked okay. The engine turned through with no evidence of binding, the plug harness looked okay; there was no sign of chafing or broken contacts. The engine and throttle controls showed continuity. The carburetor heat was operational. The left and right magnetos were checked while on the engine for spark. The left magneto was okay and producing spark. The right magneto was not producing any spark. Both magnetos were then removed from the a/c and carried to teledyne/mattituck an engine certified repair station where they were statically checked. The right magneto governs the front seven spark plugs and if it did fail the engine would only have spark to the seven rear plugs. This a/c has a seven cylinder radial Continental engine, model W670, which produces 270 horsepower. privacy data omitted A Continental engine representative from mobile, Alabama, was contacted by this FSDO and he states if the a/c lost a magneto it would lose approximately 300 to 400 RPM. The pilot of this a/c had stated that, on t/o he had approximately 1800 RPM on t/o roll and lost about 300-400 RPM. The results at mattituck were inconclusive and revealed no spark on either the left or the right magneto. Mattituck did not have the proper distributor blocks for these bendix magnetos and could not be sure they were removing the grounds, as required to test this type magneto.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 9/22/04 AT APPROX. 16:30L, N57003, A STEARNUM B-75-A75N1 CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER T/O AT BAYPORT AERODROME IN BAYPORT, NEW YORK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE STATED PILOT OF THIS A/C AND WAS IN THE AFT SEAT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED WAS THE STATED PASSENGER IN THE A/C AND WAS IN THE FORWARD SEAT. THE A/C TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 18R WITH AN APPROXIMATELY 8 KNOT NW WIND. THE PILOT STATED HE CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 300' AND HAD FULL POWER AT ABOUT 1800 RPM. HE STATED HE THEN LOST ABOUT 300-400 RPM, WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND REDUCED POWER JUST BEFORE THE A/C CRASHED. THE A/C CAME DOWN JUST EAST OF THE AIRPORT HITTING A TREE, A TELEPHONE POLE, A ROOF OF A HOUSE AND TURNING UPSIDE DOWN COMING TO REST ON THE FRONT LAWN AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ THE A/C AIRFRAME WAS DESTROYED; THE ENGINE WAS BASICALLY INTACT; THE PILOT AND PSGR HAD MINOR INJURIES AND NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE HOUSE OR ON THE GROUND. THE A/C HAD OVER 30 GALLONS OF FUEL THAT WAS SIPHONED FROM THE TANK, A FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AND NO VISIBLE WATER IN FUEL (AV GAS). UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE FOUND: OIL SCREEN CLEAN, NO MAGNETIC PARTICLES FOUND; CARBURETOR & FUEL LINES CLEAN, ENGI NE INTACT. THE FRONT SEVEN ENGINE PLUGS WERE PULLED AND ALL SEVEN CYLINDERS WERE CHECKED FOR COMPRESSION VIA THUMB CHECK AND FOUND TO BE OKAY. THE REAR PLUGS WERE ALSO PULLED AND ALL 14 PLUGS WERE PHYSICALLY INSPECTED AND LOOKED OKAY. THE ENGINE TURNED THROUGH WITH NO EVIDENCE OF BINDING, THE PLUG HARNESS LOOKED OKAY; THERE WAS NO SIGN OF CHAFING OR BROKEN CONTACTS. THE ENGINE AND THROTTLE CONTROLS SHOWED CONTINUITY. THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS OPERATIONAL. THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS WERE CHECKED WHILE ON THE ENGINE FOR SPARK. THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS OKAY AND PRODUCING SPARK. THE RIGHT MAGNETO WAS NOT PRODUCING ANY SPARK. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE THEN REMOVED FROM THE A/C AND CARRIED TO TELEDYNE/MATTITUCK AN ENGINE CERTIFIED REPAIR STATION WHERE THEY WERE STATICALLY CHECKED. THE RIGHT MAGNETO GOVERNS THE FRONT SEVEN SPARK PLUGS AND IF IT DID FAIL THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY HAVE SPARK TO THE SEVEN REAR PLUGS. THIS A/C HAS A SEVEN CYLINDER RADIAL CONTINENTAL ENGINE, MODEL W670, WHICH PRODUCES 270 HORSEPOWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ A CONTINENTAL ENGINE REPRESENTATIVE FROM MOBILE, ALABAMA, WAS CONTACTED BY THIS FSDO AND HE STATES IF THE A/C LOST A MAGNETO IT WOULD LOSE APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 RPM. THE PILOT OF THIS A/C HAD STATED THAT, ON T/O HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 1800 RPM ON T/O ROLL AND LOST ABOUT 300-400 RPM. THE RESULTS AT MATTITUCK WERE INCONCLUSIVE AND REVEALED NO SPARK ON EITHER THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT MAGNETO. MATTITUCK DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER DISTRIBUTOR BLOCKS FOR THESE BENDIX MAGNETOS AND COULD NOT BE SURE THEY WERE REMOVING THE GROUNDS, AS REQUIRED TO TEST THIS TYPE MAGNETO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.