What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft was departing Watsonville muni airport on rwy 20 at approximately 1500 PST with a flight instructor and student on board under VMC conditions when at approximately 200 to 300 feet AGL power was lost from the engine for undetermined reasons. The engine appears to have lost power but did not stop completely. The flight instructor said he was unable to recover the engine and was forced to make an emergency landing at approximately 370 feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down attitude and proceeded to flip over on the wings and fuselage. A small fire started in the engine compartment possibly due to a broken fuel line at the fuel strainer which was discovered during the investigation. The aircraft had plenty of fuel on board which was substantiated by a fuel receipt showing a fuel purchase of 10 gallons that day. During the investigation at the scene it was determined that the fuel selector was on at impact and was shut off after the accident. The carburetor and fuel strainer were disassembled by a local repair station and they both appeared to be in good condition. Both magnetos were said to be operating properly before take off.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEPARTING WATSONVILLE MUNI AIRPORT ON RWY 20 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 PST WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON BOARD UNDER VMC CONDITIONS WHEN AT APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET AGL POWER WAS LOST FROM THE ENGINE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE ENGINE APPEARS TO HAVE LOST POWER BUT DID NOT STOP COMPLETELY. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER THE ENGINE AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 370 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND PROCEEDED TO FLIP OVER ON THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. A SMALL FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT POSSIBLY DUE TO A BROKEN FUEL LINE AT THE FUEL STRAINER WHICH WAS DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THE AIRCRAFT HAD PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIATED BY A FUEL RECEIPT SHOWING A FUEL PURCHASE OF 10 GALLONS THAT DAY. DURING THE INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON AT IMPACT AND WAS SHUT OFF AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL STRAINER WERE DISASSEMBLED BY A LOCAL REPAIR STATION AND THEY BOTH APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE SAID TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY BEFORE TAKE OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.