What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 06/27/2012, at approx 1600, N645GR, certificated as a amateur-built Kitfox IV airplane, with privacy data omittedprivacy data omittedprivacy data omitted in right seat, took off from rwy 26 headed west from (kvuo). At aprox 150-300 feet AGL, witness reported he heard the engine sputter and does not remember hearing engine noise after that. The right wing dropped with the airplane making a right-hand turn approx 160 degrees from previous direction, which appeared to be deliberate. The wings leveled then the aircraft appeared to stall and impact the terrain, a grassy field adjacent to the runway, at 10-15 degrees nose down. The impact sight was approx 5 inches into the earth and matched the shape of the forward fuselage. The wreckage slid for approx 30 feet. The pilot sitting in the left seat was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and the person in the right seat was dead at the scene. Subsequent investigation of the aircraft showed that the engine does not appear to have been operating at the time of impact. There was approx 3 gal of auto fuel in left wing fuel tank and 6 gal in right wing fuel tank. The wing tanks inline fuel valves were observed to be in the open position. The main fuel valve was found open and master switch on by a first responder but closed and turned off during rescue attempt. Fuel in wings, fuel filter, and left hand carburetor bowl were clean and free contamination. The right hand carburetor bowl contained small pieces of red rtv sealant. Aircraft was removed by salvage company with further investigation of engine to be performed by the NTSB.pilot information incomplete due to inaccessibility. 8020-23 will be updated if or when privacy data omitted will be available for an interview.
As the FAA filed it
ON 06/27/2012, AT APPROX 1600, N645GR, CERTIFICATED AS A AMATEUR-BUILT KITFOX IV AIRPLANE, WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN RIGHT SEAT, TOOK OFF FROM RWY 26 HEADED WEST FROM (KVUO). AT APROX 150-300 FEET AGL, WITNESS REPORTED HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER AND DOES NOT REMEMBER HEARING ENGINE NOISE AFTER THAT. THE RIGHT WING DROPPED WITH THE AIRPLANE MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN APPROX 160 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS DIRECTION, WHICH APPEARED TO BE DELIBERATE. THE WINGS LEVELED THEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STALL AND IMPACT THE TERRAIN, A GRASSY FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY, AT 10-15 DEGREES NOSE DOWN. THE IMPACT SIGHT WAS APPROX 5 INCHES INTO THE EARTH AND MATCHED THE SHAPE OF THE FORWARD FUSELAGE. THE WRECKAGE SLID FOR APPROX 30 FEET. THE PILOT SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS DEAD AT THE SCENE. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE ENGINE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THERE WAS APPROX 3 GAL OF AUTO FUEL IN LEFT WING FUEL TANK AND 6 GAL IN RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. THE WING TANKS INLINE FUEL VALVES WERE OBSERVED TO BE IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE MAIN FUEL VALVE WAS FOUND OPEN AND MASTER SWITCH ON BY A FIRST RESPONDER BUT CLOSED AND TURNED OFF DURING RESCUE ATTEMPT. FUEL IN WINGS, FUEL FILTER, AND LEFT HAND CARBURETOR BOWL WERE CLEAN AND FREE CONTAMINATION. THE RIGHT HAND CARBURETOR BOWL CONTAINED SMALL PIECES OF RED RTV SEALANT. AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED BY SALVAGE COMPANY WITH FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF ENGINE TO BE PERFORMED BY THE NTSB.PILOT INFORMATION INCOMPLETE DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY. 8020-23 WILL BE UPDATED IF OR WHEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.