What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Navion, N2401T sustained substantial damage to its right wing and horizontal stabilizer after losing power during the initial climb-out from Lake Geneva air Estates on September 14, 2005 at 1835 CDT. The pilot-in-command and sole occupant of the aircraft, privacy data omitted was not injured. The pilot privacy data omitted reported that the VFR personal flight was for the purpose of flying to burlington Wisconsin to get fuel followed by a local flight with a planned return to Lake Geneva air Estates. The pilot privacy data omitted reported that he had not flown the airplane for two weeks prior to this flight, and that the aircraft had been parked outside on a hill with the nose down to the right. He stated the fuel tanks were about half full during this period. The pilot privacy data omitted stated he did a complete preflight inspection including obtaining gas samples from four points of the belly of the plane. He stated no water was found. The pilot privacy data omitted reported that while taxiing for takeoff, the engine almost died so he increased the mixture all the way and regained smooth operation. He stated during the runway, the "mags were rough" so he leaned the mixture to peak temperature and rechecked the mags at which time they were smooth. He stated he taxied into position, held the brakes went to full right mixture and full power for five seconds and then released the brakes. The pilot privacy data omitted stated the takeoff roll was normal, he rotated at 65 mps and lifted off at about 80 mph and started the climb. He reported that at approximately 40 feet AGL the engine "went flat". He stated he put the boost pump high, the engine caught for a second and then "went flat" again. He stated he checked the airspeed found it at 60 mph at which time he lowered the nose and realized that he would not clear the fence at the end of the airport property. He stated as the aircraft hit the fence, the engine came back to full power. He stated he was already down in the field across the street from the runway so he shut down the engine, secured the aircraft and exited as quickly as possible. Milwaukee FSDO personnel inspected the aircraft the following morning. Sediment, but no water was in fuel drained from the tanks at that time. Water was found in the recessed area outside of the fuel ports. Inspection of the main fuel strainer/sump did not show sufficient blockage to have caused an engine failure. No mechanical engine malfunction was noted that would have caused the engine to fail.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) NAVION, N2401T SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ITS RIGHT WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AFTER LOSING POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB-OUT FROM LAKE GENEVA AIR ESTATES ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 AT 1835 CDT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ REPORTED THAT THE VFR PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF FLYING TO BURLINGTON WISCONSIN TO GET FUEL FOLLOWED BY A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH A PLANNED RETURN TO LAKE GENEVA AIR ESTATES. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN THE AIRPLANE FOR TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT, AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON A HILL WITH THE NOSE DOWN TO THE RIGHT. HE STATED THE FUEL TANKS WERE ABOUT HALF FULL DURING THIS PERIOD. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ STATED HE DID A COMPLETE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION INCLUDING OBTAINING GAS SAMPLES FROM FOUR POINTS OF THE BELLY OF THE PLANE. HE STATED NO WATER WAS FOUND. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ REPORTED THAT WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE ALMOST DIED SO HE INCREASED THE MIXTURE ALL THE WAY AND REGAINED SMOOTH OPERATION. HE STATED DURING THE RUNWAY, THE "MAGS WERE ROUGH" SO HE LEANED THE MIXTURE TO PEAK TEMPERATURE AND RECHECKED THE MAGS AT WHICH TIME THEY WERE SMOOTH. HE STATED HE TAXIED INTO POSITION, HELD THE BRAKES WENT TO FULL RIGHT MIXTURE AND FULL POWER FOR FIVE SECONDS AND THEN RELEASED THE BRAKES. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ STATED THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL, HE ROTATED AT 65 MPS AND LIFTED OFF AT ABOUT 80 MPH AND STARTED THE CLIMB. HE REPORTED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET AGL THE ENGINE "WENT FLAT". HE STATED HE PUT THE BOOST PUMP HIGH, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FOR A SECOND AND THEN "WENT FLAT" AGAIN. HE STATED HE CHECKED THE AIRSPEED FOUND IT AT 60 MPH AT WHICH TIME HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE FENCE AT THE END OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. HE STATED AS THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE FENCE, THE ENGINE CAME BACK TO FULL POWER. HE STATED HE WAS ALREADY DOWN IN THE FIELD ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE RUNWAY SO HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, SECURED THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. MILWAUKEE FSDO PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. SEDIMENT, BUT NO WATER WAS IN FUEL DRAINED FROM THE TANKS AT THAT TIME. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE RECESSED AREA OUTSIDE OF THE FUEL PORTS. INSPECTION OF THE MAIN FUEL STRAINER/SUMP DID NOT SHOW SUFFICIENT BLOCKAGE TO HAVE CAUSED AN ENGINE FAILURE. NO MECHANICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.