What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 29, 2007, at approximately 0530 MST, a homebuilt experimental vans RV-9A, N394RS, was substantially damaged in a collision with terrain following a loss of power on climbout from Ryan Field Airport, runway 6R, Tucson, Arizona. The private pilot, who owned and built the aircraft and was its sole occupant at the time, acquired only minor injury. Visual meteorological conditions existed for this 14 CFR part 91 pleasure flight. Pilot stated that before takeoff, at preflight engine runup, all indications were normal. After takeoff, during climbout, engine high manifold pressure warning light came on, supercharger controller was turned to override but this failed to lower manifold pressure, engine began to run rough and lose power, at approximately 300-400 AGL climb was no longer possible. Pilot began left turn in attempt to return to airport but loss of engine power continued and aircraft touched down in desert area approximately 1 mile north east of the airport runway doing about 60 KIAS, hit brushes with both main gears and both wing tips, then nose gear dug into soft sand area, one propeller blade hit ground and broke off, aircraft flipped over 90 degrees as top of tail hit ground. No fire at site. Pilot statement: departed kryn, runway 6R, for local flight about 5:30 am MST on 6/29/07. After leaving airport, during climbout, high manifold pressure warning light came on. Manifold pressure indicated 40" (should have been 33-34"). Turned the supercharger controller to override, but manifold pressure did not decline. Engine ran rough and began to lose power. Climb no longer possible. This was at 300-400 AGL. Began a very gentle left turn (5-10 aob) to return to airport, but engine power continued to decline. Landed in desert approx. one mile east of kryn at about 60 KIAS. Hit brush prior to touchdown on main gear. Main gear then encountered a small mound of soft dirt, throwing the nose forward. Nose gear dug in and airplane flipped upside down and about 90 degrees from landing direction. Engine was likely off at touchdown, as evidenced by only one broken propeller blade (of three total). At preflight runup, all had been normal. Manifold pressure increased and maintained 33" with high engine RPM, then declined to un-boosted pressure when engine RPM was reduced to idle, as expected.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 29, 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 0530 MST, A HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL VANS RV-9A, N394RS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN A COLLISION WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER ON CLIMBOUT FROM RYAN FIELD AIRPORT, RUNWAY 6R, TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO OWNED AND BUILT THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS ITS SOLE OCCUPANT AT THE TIME, ACQUIRED ONLY MINOR INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THIS 14 CFR PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT. PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, AT PREFLIGHT ENGINE RUNUP, ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AFTER TAKEOFF, DURING CLIMBOUT, ENGINE HIGH MANIFOLD PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, SUPERCHARGER CONTROLLER WAS TURNED TO OVERRIDE BUT THIS FAILED TO LOWER MANIFOLD PRESSURE, ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER, AT APPROXIMATELY 300-400 AGL CLIMB WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE. PILOT BEGAN LEFT TURN IN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO AIRPORT BUT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER CONTINUED AND AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN DESERT AREA APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH EAST OF THE AIRPORT RUNWAY DOING ABOUT 60 KIAS, HIT BRUSHES WITH BOTH MAIN GEARS AND BOTH WING TIPS, THEN NOSE GEAR DUG INTO SOFT SAND AREA, ONE PROPELLER BLADE HIT GROUND AND BROKE OFF, AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER 90 DEGREES AS TOP OF TAIL HIT GROUND. NO FIRE AT SITE. PILOT STATEMENT: DEPARTED KRYN, RUNWAY 6R, FOR LOCAL FLIGHT ABOUT 5:30 AM MST ON 6/29/07. AFTER LEAVING AIRPORT, DURING CLIMBOUT, HIGH MANIFOLD PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. MANIFOLD PRESSURE INDICATED 40" (SHOULD HAVE BEEN 33-34"). TURNED THE SUPERCHARGER CONTROLLER TO OVERRIDE, BUT MANIFOLD PRESSURE DID NOT DECLINE. ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. CLIMB NO LONGER POSSIBLE. THIS WAS AT 300-400 AGL. BEGAN A VERY GENTLE LEFT TURN (5-10 AOB) TO RETURN TO AIRPORT, BUT ENGINE POWER CONTINUED TO DECLINE. LANDED IN DESERT APPROX. ONE MILE EAST OF KRYN AT ABOUT 60 KIAS. HIT BRUSH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN ON MAIN GEAR. MAIN GEAR THEN ENCOUNTERED A SMALL MOUND OF SOFT DIRT, THROWING THE NOSE FORWARD. NOSE GEAR DUG IN AND AIRPLANE FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN AND ABOUT 90 DEGREES FROM LANDING DIRECTION. ENGINE WAS LIKELY OFF AT TOUCHDOWN, AS EVIDENCED BY ONLY ONE BROKEN PROPELLER BLADE (OF THREE TOTAL). AT PREFLIGHT RUNUP, ALL HAD BEEN NORMAL. MANIFOLD PRESSURE INCREASED AND MAINTAINED 33" WITH HIGH ENGINE RPM, THEN DECLINED TO UN-BOOSTED PRESSURE WHEN ENGINE RPM WAS REDUCED TO IDLE, AS EXPECTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.