What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that after checking the fuel quantity and balance and engine oil, he taxied that aircraft to runway 14 where performed mag checks. When asked what kind of RPM drop he got he replied that there was no RPM drop, nor did he ever get a mag drop since he started operating this aircraft. After the mag check he pulled onto runway 14, applied full power and began the take-off roll, after he rotated and at 30 to 50 feet above ground level (AGL) the engine just quit like turning off the ignition switch. The aircraft nosed over quickly and because of the low altitude he could not recover before impact. He stated that the nose wheel hit first then the mains hit and bounced the aircraft up. The aircraft then came back down onto the nose again this time the nose gear pushed back and the propeller hit the runway. After the aircraft came to rest he turned off the fuel and magneto switch and managed to muscle his way out. After exiting the aircraft he took notice of the damage which included the broken propeller, the nose gear push back under and to the right, the engine mount was broken, buckling of the fuselage and the buckling of the cockpit floor. He and other friends then removed the wreckage from the runway to his hanger after which he stated that he called the south Florida FSDO to report it but there was no one there on a Saturday and he did not leave a message, on Monday he called the FSDO and reported the accident.
The pilot stated that he routinely performed stol takeoffs.
The iic performed continuity checks of the aircraft and engine with no defects noted. The iic did find the both right and left magnetos are internally shorted to the case/ground.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER CHECKING THE FUEL QUANTITY AND BALANCE AND ENGINE OIL, HE TAXIED THAT AIRCRAFT TO RUNWAY 14 WHERE PERFORMED MAG CHECKS. WHEN ASKED WHAT KIND OF RPM DROP HE GOT HE REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NO RPM DROP, NOR DID HE EVER GET A MAG DROP SINCE HE STARTED OPERATING THIS AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE MAG CHECK HE PULLED ONTO RUNWAY 14, APPLIED FULL POWER AND BEGAN THE TAKE-OFF ROLL, AFTER HE ROTATED AND AT 30 TO 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) THE ENGINE JUST QUIT LIKE TURNING OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER QUICKLY AND BECAUSE OF THE LOW ALTITUDE HE COULD NOT RECOVER BEFORE IMPACT. HE STATED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL HIT FIRST THEN THE MAINS HIT AND BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT UP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CAME BACK DOWN ONTO THE NOSE AGAIN THIS TIME THE NOSE GEAR PUSHED BACK AND THE PROPELLER HIT THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST HE TURNED OFF THE FUEL AND MAGNETO SWITCH AND MANAGED TO MUSCLE HIS WAY OUT. AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT HE TOOK NOTICE OF THE DAMAGE WHICH INCLUDED THE BROKEN PROPELLER, THE NOSE GEAR PUSH BACK UNDER AND TO THE RIGHT, THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BROKEN, BUCKLING OF THE FUSELAGE AND THE BUCKLING OF THE COCKPIT FLOOR. HE AND OTHER FRIENDS THEN REMOVED THE WRECKAGE FROM THE RUNWAY TO HIS HANGER AFTER WHICH HE STATED THAT HE CALLED THE SOUTH FLORIDA FSDO TO REPORT IT BUT THERE WAS NO ONE THERE ON A SATURDAY AND HE DID NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE, ON MONDAY HE CALLED THE FSDO AND REPORTED THE ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ROUTINELY PERFORMED STOL TAKEOFFS.
THE IIC PERFORMED CONTINUITY CHECKS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE IIC DID FIND THE BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT MAGNETOS ARE INTERNALLY SHORTED TO THE CASE/GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.