20050630034149A

(-23) The pilot stated that the engine quit at about 250 feet AGL during his climb-out after take-off. He stated that he leveled the aircraft and the engine restarted. He then initiated a tight right hand bank and another climb in an attempt to return to the runway. At this time the engine again quit. He felt that it might have momentarily started during the transition from climb to glide and then quit for good. Due to a billboard located near the end of the runway and his low altitude, the pilot elected to land in the grass median on the south side of the interstate that paralleled the runway. During the landing, he hit a stand of saplings with the right wing. The aircraft impacted the ground at a low airspeed and flipped over. The aircraft received substantial damage and the pilot sustained minor injuries in the accident. An inspection of the engine and its accessories revealed no obvious problems. Following inspections of the fuel system, fuel was added to the left fuel tank and a new propeller was installed. The engine was started and ran with no problems noted. Responding police officers and witnesses on the scene confirmed that there was no smell of fuel at the scene. A checkof the fuel tanks at the impound facility revealed no visible fuel in the tanks. The fuel caps used curved tubing for venting. Both vents were open and clear with no sign of insect activity. A fuel sample taken from the fuel filter bowl revealed that 100LL aviation grade fuel was in use. The fuel sample was clear and bright with no water. The carburetor fuel screen was inspected with no contamination found. Twenty-four ounces of fuel were drained from the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank sump was damaged in the crash, so no fuel could be drained from that tank. The fuel pickups are located in the lower center portion of the inboard end of each wing tank. When fuel was added to the left wing tank, it took two gallons of fuel, with the aircraft sitting on the ground in a normal position, before any fuel flowed from the fuel tank pickup. Based on this finding, it is estimated that the aircraft would have required a minimum of 2.5-3.5 gallons of fuel in each tank for a safe take-off (cap. Is approx. 6.5 gal per tank for a total capacity of 13 gals.). The pilot stated that he had checked the fuel tanks before take off, but could not be certain of the quantity of fuel actually in the tanks. Based on the reported flight time since the last top-off of the aircraft's fuel tanks, (approx. 1.5 hours) the aircraft would have had no more than 6 gallons (approx. 3 gal. In each tank) of fuel left onboard when the accident flight began. No accurate fuel quantity indication system is installed in the aircraft. The pilot had only owned the aircraft for two days prior to the crash. A telephone interview revealed that the previous owner always kept the tanks topped off, so most takeoffs were accomplished with full tanks. Occasionally, a takeoff would be made after an hours' flight. The previous owner reported that he had never encountered any type of fuel problem.