What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot believes that the aircraft lost power on takeoff. The aircraft had become airborne approximately 20'. Pilot attempted to land in the remaining runway, but was unable to stop and struck trees past the departure end of runway 34. Pilot and one passenger were on-board. No injuries. Runway was a private 2300' grass strip (Horizon Airport, 74R). When the possible power loss occurred, the engine continued to run. The pilot, passenger, and a witness on the ground did not hear any abnormal engine noises or audible change in engine power. The pilot did not see any abnormal cockpit engine indications. The pilot turned the magneto switches to off. There was very little damage to propeller caused by rotational forces – only scratches. The aircraft's upper left wing spar was completely broken – caused by impact with a tree. Other damage includes a bent propeller, the right main landing gear strut bent backwards, and numerous tears and perforations to the aircraft fabric skin. The cause of power loss is unknown at this time. Airworthiness inspector on scene determined nothing obvious with engine continuity. Inspector was unable to perform detailed investigation of engine. On scene investigation consisted of fuel system verification, inspection of engine controls, and hand rotation of engine while listening for audible clues of any potential malfunction. The engine appeared to rotate normally. Intake and exhaust valves appeared to function normally. Engine exhaust pipe was free of engine oil. Engine oil level was normal. Fuel flowed freely through the fuel strainer. The aircraft cockpit engine controls were found in the following positions: throttle-idle; mixture-rich; magnetos-off; carb heat-cold. No obvious problems with cockpit-to-engine control linkages. The fuel selector was found one-half way in-between the "on" and "off" position, but fuel flowed freely in this position and the flow stream did not decrease until the selector was turned much further towards "off". Fuel tank level was nearly ¾ full of clean, 100LL. Total time on airframe is unknown. The engine was the original and was rebuilt in 1988. Tachometer time since rebuild was 743.5 hours. Annual inspection performed 08/20/2012, with no problems noted. The pilot's medical certificate had expired.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT BELIEVES THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER ON TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BECOME AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY 20'. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN THE REMAINING RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND STRUCK TREES PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 34. PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE ON-BOARD. NO INJURIES. RUNWAY WAS A PRIVATE 2300' GRASS STRIP (HORIZON AIRPORT, 74R). WHEN THE POSSIBLE POWER LOSS OCCURRED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. THE PILOT, PASSENGER, AND A WITNESS ON THE GROUND DID NOT HEAR ANY ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISES OR AUDIBLE CHANGE IN ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE ANY ABNORMAL COCKPIT ENGINE INDICATIONS. THE PILOT TURNED THE MAGNETO SWITCHES TO OFF. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO PROPELLER CAUSED BY ROTATIONAL FORCES – ONLY SCRATCHES. THE AIRCRAFT'S UPPER LEFT WING SPAR WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN – CAUSED BY IMPACT WITH A TREE. OTHER DAMAGE INCLUDES A BENT PROPELLER, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT BENT BACKWARDS, AND NUMEROUS TEARS AND PERFORATIONS TO THE AIRCRAFT FABRIC SKIN. THE CAUSE OF POWER LOSS IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ON SCENE DETERMINED NOTHING OBVIOUS WITH ENGINE CONTINUITY. INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF ENGINE. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION CONSISTED OF FUEL SYSTEM VERIFICATION, INSPECTION OF ENGINE CONTROLS, AND HAND ROTATION OF ENGINE WHILE LISTENING FOR AUDIBLE CLUES OF ANY POTENTIAL MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO ROTATE NORMALLY. INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE WAS FREE OF ENGINE OIL. ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS NORMAL. FUEL FLOWED FREELY THROUGH THE FUEL STRAINER. THE AIRCRAFT COCKPIT ENGINE CONTROLS WERE FOUND IN THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: THROTTLE-IDLE; MIXTURE-RICH; MAGNETOS-OFF; CARB HEAT-COLD. NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH COCKPIT-TO-ENGINE CONTROL LINKAGES. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND ONE-HALF WAY IN-BETWEEN THE "ON" AND "OFF" POSITION, BUT FUEL FLOWED FREELY IN THIS POSITION AND THE FLOW STREAM DID NOT DECREASE UNTIL THE SELECTOR WAS TURNED MUCH FURTHER TOWARDS "OFF". FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS NEARLY ¾ FULL OF CLEAN, 100LL. TOTAL TIME ON AIRFRAME IS UNKNOWN. THE ENGINE WAS THE ORIGINAL AND WAS REBUILT IN 1988. TACHOMETER TIME SINCE REBUILD WAS 743.5 HOURS. ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED 08/20/2012, WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED. THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.