What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Holst VP-1 experimental amateur built volksplane, N770VP, departed on its first flight and flew for approxiamately eight minutes before making a forced landing to an open field. The airplane departed from runway 35 at 1730. The airplane was on initial takeoff climb at about 200 feet above ground level at 70 miles per hour when the engine started surging from a high power setting to a medium power setting. The pilot scanned his instrument panel and noticed the engine cylinder head temperature indicator was reading in the red band at between 425 – 475 degrees fahrenheit. The pilot then turned left on an approximate heading of 180 degrees and made a forced landing in a cow pasture, colliding hard with the ground causing structural damage.
As the FAA filed it
A HOLST VP-1 EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT VOLKSPLANE, N770VP, DEPARTED ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT AND FLEW FOR APPROXIAMATELY EIGHT MINUTES BEFORE MAKING A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 35 AT 1730. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB AT ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AT 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED SURGING FROM A HIGH POWER SETTING TO A MEDIUM POWER SETTING. THE PILOT SCANNED HIS INSTRUMENT PANEL AND NOTICED THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE INDICATOR WAS READING IN THE RED BAND AT BETWEEN 425 – 475 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE PILOT THEN TURNED LEFT ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 180 DEGREES AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A COW PASTURE, COLLIDING HARD WITH THE GROUND CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.