What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The airplane impacted terrain short of runway 25R during a forced landing after takeoff. The pilot was seriously injured, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. ATC data revealed that the airplane departed from runway 7R. About 1 minute after takeoff, the pilot reported "an engine failure" and announced his intention to return for landing. Witnesses in the airport vicinity reported hearing a "surging" engine noise from the airplane passed as it overhead. Post-crash examination of the airplane revealed that both prop controls were in the full-forward position and that the props were not feathered. The flaps were extended, and the landing gear was in the down position. No evidence of mechanical malfunction was found. Only traces quantities of fuel were found in the aircraft fuel system. The mechanic who maintained the airplane reported that the pilot had reported problems with the accuracy of the fuel quantity indicatory system a few months earlier. The fuel gauge was replaced in February 2009 but that did not resolve the problem. The mechanic advised the pilot to bring the airplane in for defueling and diagnosis of the transmitter, but the pilot had not done so as the date of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORT OF RUNWAY 25R DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. ATC DATA REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 7R. ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED "AN ENGINE FAILURE" AND ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO RETURN FOR LANDING. WITNESSES IN THE AIRPORT VICINITY REPORTED HEARING A "SURGING" ENGINE NOISE FROM THE AIRPLANE PASSED AS IT OVERHEAD. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT BOTH PROP CONTROLS WERE IN THE FULL-FORWARD POSITION AND THAT THE PROPS WERE NOT FEATHERED. THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED, AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. ONLY TRACES QUANTITIES OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM. THE MECHANIC WHO MAINTAINED THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCURACY OF THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORY SYSTEM A FEW MONTHS EARLIER. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2009 BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE PILOT TO BRING THE AIRPLANE IN FOR DEFUELING AND DIAGNOSIS OF THE TRANSMITTER, BUT THE PILOT HAD NOT DONE SO AS THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.