What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed runway 36 on a northerly heading and traveled approximately 1300 feet, from the end of runway 36, when it struck the top of a 40 foot tree. Aircraft pitched nose down, yawing slightly to the left. Aircraft continued to travel in a northerly direction losing altitude. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground, in a nose down attitude, 130 feet past initial contact with the tree. Propeller hub separated from engine crankshaft upon impact and was located 3 feet from final location of aircraft wreckage. Aircraft overturned and was wedged between two trees in a near vertical position. Post-accident fire consumed the fuselage, most of the right wing structure, and the tail empennage. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries. Post-accident investigation of engine and propeller revealed that, while the engine was developing power, the power was not sufficient to maintain altitude. The fuel mixture control lever was found to be pulled out (idle cut off) and the electric fuel pump switch was found to be in the "on" position.
Examination of the mixture control lever, at the mixture control shaft, was found to have a bronze control lever installed. Mixture control lever was operated through its normal operation, however, it appeared that the lever was rotating about mixture control shaft and not rotating the shaft itself. Part was removed from engine and sent to engine manufacturer for further investigation with the NTSB and FAA.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 1300 FEET, FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 36, WHEN IT STRUCK THE TOP OF A 40 FOOT TREE. AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN, YAWING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TRAVEL IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION LOSING ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND, IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, 130 FEET PAST INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE TREE. PROPELLER HUB SEPARATED FROM ENGINE CRANKSHAFT UPON IMPACT AND WAS LOCATED 3 FEET FROM FINAL LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. AIRCRAFT OVERTURNED AND WAS WEDGED BETWEEN TWO TREES IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION. POST-ACCIDENT FIRE CONSUMED THE FUSELAGE, MOST OF THE RIGHT WING STRUCTURE, AND THE TAIL EMPENNAGE. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF ENGINE AND PROPELLER REVEALED THAT, WHILE THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER, THE POWER WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE FUEL MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER WAS FOUND TO BE PULLED OUT (IDLE CUT OFF) AND THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SWITCH WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE "ON" POSITION.
EXAMINATION OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER, AT THE MIXTURE CONTROL SHAFT, WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BRONZE CONTROL LEVER INSTALLED. MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER WAS OPERATED THROUGH ITS NORMAL OPERATION, HOWEVER, IT APPEARED THAT THE LEVER WAS ROTATING ABOUT MIXTURE CONTROL SHAFT AND NOT ROTATING THE SHAFT ITSELF. PART WAS REMOVED FROM ENGINE AND SENT TO ENGINE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION WITH THE NTSB AND FAA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.