What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 10/06/2005, after refueling, the pilot privacy data omitted the sole occupant of an experimental RV-4 aircraft (N149KC), departed Mitchell, SD (mhe) on runway 35. The pilot said about a minute after he was airborne, the engine went from full power to idle. He said he attempted to restart. He was about 3/4 of a mile from the airport. He made an emergency landing in a field NE of hwy 37. He was not injured. There was substantial damage to the landing gear, engine mount, and firewall. The fuel in the tanks and gascolator was clean. The mixture and throttle controls worked properly. There was a large amount of silicone around the carburetor and the air cleaner attach flange. The air cleaner was removed. After the back bolts were removed from the bottom of the carburetor, gasoline, metal, metal fines and silicone fines were running out of the bolt holes. This would indicate that someone put the wrong bolts in the bottom of the carburetor causing breaks in the carburetor fuel bowl. Someone packed silicone into the holes to attempt to seal the leaks. This allowed silicone to contaminate the inside of the fuel bowl. The acft was moved to the airport. The engine was started, but would only develop idle power.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 10/06/2005, AFTER REFUELING, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL RV-4 AIRCRAFT (N149KC), DEPARTED MITCHELL, SD (MHE) ON RUNWAY 35. THE PILOT SAID ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER HE WAS AIRBORNE, THE ENGINE WENT FROM FULL POWER TO IDLE. HE SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. HE WAS ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD NE OF HWY 37. HE WAS NOT INJURED. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, ENGINE MOUNT, AND FIREWALL. THE FUEL IN THE TANKS AND GASCOLATOR WAS CLEAN. THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROLS WORKED PROPERLY. THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SILICONE AROUND THE CARBURETOR AND THE AIR CLEANER ATTACH FLANGE. THE AIR CLEANER WAS REMOVED. AFTER THE BACK BOLTS WERE REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR, GASOLINE, METAL, METAL FINES AND SILICONE FINES WERE RUNNING OUT OF THE BOLT HOLES. THIS WOULD INDICATE THAT SOMEONE PUT THE WRONG BOLTS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR CAUSING BREAKS IN THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL. SOMEONE PACKED SILICONE INTO THE HOLES TO ATTEMPT TO SEAL THE LEAKS. THIS ALLOWED SILICONE TO CONTAMINATE THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL BOWL. THE ACFT WAS MOVED TO THE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, BUT WOULD ONLY DEVELOP IDLE POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.