What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was taking off to build hours in an experimental/home built aircraft that he built. Weather was not a factor in this accident. At 1545 CDT the aircraft departed the st. Elmo, AL (2R5) airport on runway 24. According to two witnesses at the airport the engine never seemed to be developing full power. On departure and having reached an altitude of approximately 250' AGL the aircraft began a left turn and the engine quit. The bank angle increased to the left to an angle exceeding 90 degrees. The aircraft's nose then dropped suddenly, the bank angle returned to level flight and the nose pitched up to an angle exceeding 45 degrees. The aircraft then fell backwards and impacted the ground tail first at impact in a wooded area approximately 1500' west of the runway. The direction of travel at impact was 040 degrees magnetic however, the nose of the aircraft was in the direction of 220 degrees. There was no fire. No preexisting damage was noted. The pilot's body was in the left seat and the seat back and shoulder harness attachments were broken. Both fuel caps were secured. No fuel was noted in the right tank. The left wing contained approximately 6-8 us gallons of auto fuel. The fuel selector was located between the "both" and "left" position. The manufacturer of the fuel selector was antare. This fuel selector has three ports and four positions. The three ports are "left, right and both". The four positions are "left, right, both and off." The "right" fuel tank feed line was attached to the "both" port. If the selector handle is allowed to rotate to the position between "both" and "left" the fuel output line from the selector valve is connected to both the right and left fuel tank. With only fuel in the left tank the high pressure electric fuel pumps could draw air only from the right tank and no fuel. The detents in the selector valve are very weak and almost unnoticeable. There was an unnecessary vent line from the fuel sump tank connected to the top of the left tank. Under conditions of an uncoordinated turn or slip this could allow air to enter the fuel feed lines to the fuel pumps. The shape of the fuel sump tank is such (wide and low) that during an uncoordinated turn or slip with a partially filled sump tank, the fuel feed line to the engine may become uncovered. See attached drawings of the fuel system installed by privacy data omitted and the drawing of the recommended fuel system for a pusher type aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF TO BUILD HOURS IN AN EXPERIMENTAL/HOME BUILT AIRCRAFT THAT HE BUILT. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT. AT 1545 CDT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE ST. ELMO, AL (2R5) AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 24. ACCORDING TO TWO WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT THE ENGINE NEVER SEEMED TO BE DEVELOPING FULL POWER. ON DEPARTURE AND HAVING REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 250' AGL THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE BANK ANGLE INCREASED TO THE LEFT TO AN ANGLE EXCEEDING 90 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE THEN DROPPED SUDDENLY, THE BANK ANGLE RETURNED TO LEVEL FLIGHT AND THE NOSE PITCHED UP TO AN ANGLE EXCEEDING 45 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELL BACKWARDS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND TAIL FIRST AT IMPACT IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 1500' WEST OF THE RUNWAY. THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AT IMPACT WAS 040 DEGREES MAGNETIC HOWEVER, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE DIRECTION OF 220 DEGREES. THERE WAS NO FIRE. NO PREEXISTING DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND THE SEAT BACK AND SHOULDER HARNESS ATTACHMENTS WERE BROKEN. BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE SECURED. NO FUEL WAS NOTED IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE LEFT WING CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 6-8 US GALLONS OF AUTO FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS LOCATED BETWEEN THE "BOTH" AND "LEFT" POSITION. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ANTARE. THIS FUEL SELECTOR HAS THREE PORTS AND FOUR POSITIONS. THE THREE PORTS ARE "LEFT, RIGHT AND BOTH". THE FOUR POSITIONS ARE "LEFT, RIGHT, BOTH AND OFF." THE "RIGHT" FUEL TANK FEED LINE WAS ATTACHED TO THE "BOTH" PORT. IF THE SELECTOR HANDLE IS ALLOWED TO ROTATE TO THE POSITION BETWEEN "BOTH" AND "LEFT" THE FUEL OUTPUT LINE FROM THE SELECTOR VALVE IS CONNECTED TO BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL TANK. WITH ONLY FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK THE HIGH PRESSURE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS COULD DRAW AIR ONLY FROM THE RIGHT TANK AND NO FUEL. THE DETENTS IN THE SELECTOR VALVE ARE VERY WEAK AND ALMOST UNNOTICEABLE. THERE WAS AN UNNECESSARY VENT LINE FROM THE FUEL SUMP TANK CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF THE LEFT TANK. UNDER CONDITIONS OF AN UNCOORDINATED TURN OR SLIP THIS COULD ALLOW AIR TO ENTER THE FUEL FEED LINES TO THE FUEL PUMPS. THE SHAPE OF THE FUEL SUMP TANK IS SUCH (WIDE AND LOW) THAT DURING AN UNCOORDINATED TURN OR SLIP WITH A PARTIALLY FILLED SUMP TANK, THE FUEL FEED LINE TO THE ENGINE MAY BECOME UNCOVERED. SEE ATTACHED DRAWINGS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM INSTALLED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE DRAWING OF THE RECOMMENDED FUEL SYSTEM FOR A PUSHER TYPE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.