What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) An instrument rated private pilot and one passenger (also a pilot) stated they departed Bessemer (eky) runway 5 with intentions to fly some practice approaches. At approximately 100 ft AGL and three fourths of the way down the runway, he retracted the landing gear handle and immediately lost engine power. With airspeed and RPM dropping rapidly, he returned the gear handle to the down position and started a slight turn to the right to avoid the REIL lights. The airplane contacted the ground on the top of a small hill approximately 150 yards past the end of the runway and 100 feet right of centerline and bounced back into the air. It continued flying for 250 yards down the back side of the hill and impacted the trees at the airport boundry. It came to rest on its right side with the right wing folded back, eliminating a fuel level determination for that wing. The left wing was also damaged but still held fuel. Post crash investigation found the fuel selector in the "off" position but the passenger stated that he selected that setting after the crash because of the amount of fuel draining through the cockpit. Initial inspection of the engine verified cylinder compression and spark from the magnetos.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AN INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER (ALSO A PILOT) STATED THEY DEPARTED BESSEMER (EKY) RUNWAY 5 WITH INTENTIONS TO FLY SOME PRACTICE APPROACHES. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FT AGL AND THREE FOURTHS OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ENGINE POWER. WITH AIRSPEED AND RPM DROPPING RAPIDLY, HE RETURNED THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POSITION AND STARTED A SLIGHT TURN TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE REIL LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND ON THE TOP OF A SMALL HILL APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND 100 FEET RIGHT OF CENTERLINE AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. IT CONTINUED FLYING FOR 250 YARDS DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE HILL AND IMPACTED THE TREES AT THE AIRPORT BOUNDRY. IT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH THE RIGHT WING FOLDED BACK, ELIMINATING A FUEL LEVEL DETERMINATION FOR THAT WING. THE LEFT WING WAS ALSO DAMAGED BUT STILL HELD FUEL. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION FOUND THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE "OFF" POSITION BUT THE PASSENGER STATED THAT HE SELECTED THAT SETTING AFTER THE CRASH BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL DRAINING THROUGH THE COCKPIT. INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE VERIFIED CYLINDER COMPRESSION AND SPARK FROM THE MAGNETOS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N45133 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.