What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday 12/04/2015 at 16:15 local, N2991B departed Vine Grove KY (70KY). On climb out, the engine lost power and impacted terrain. The pilot stated to FAA investigator that "it was a nice calm clear day with no wind and he wanted to do some pattern work." He stated that he performed a preflight including visual verification of fuel in both left and right wing tanks, approximately 15 gallons in each, the aux tank cannot be verified visually. He decided to taxi to the FAR end of grass runway 29 to allow the engine time to reach operating temp. All before takeoff checks seemed normal. With 10 deg flaps, the takeoff roll and distance was normal. The engine was performing well with a positive climb established, so he raised the gear and retracted the flaps. At that point, he stated he estimated to be approx 150 feet AGL, with most of the runway behind him, then the engine just quit. Due to the buildings and power lines around the airport, he selected a landing site about 45 degrees to the left off the nose, a paved street (valley view drive). He clipped a set of power lines and the aircraft came to rest on the edge of the road. Everything happened in just a few seconds according to the pilot. He shut off the mags & master, moved the fuel selector from aux to off, and got out of the aircraft. EMS response was almost immediate. After thinking about the accident over and over, the D-35 has only one fuel gauge and two switches used to select the tank indicated. The fuel selector has 4 positions left, right, aux and off. (You can have the fuel selector on the aux tank and the fuel indicator on a different tank.) Pilot stated it is possible that he mistakenly verified the fuel level in the aux tank with the indicator set to one of the main tanks. It was verified after the accident that the aux tank only held 6 quarts of fuel and, with the fuel selector in the aux position, very little fuel came out of the fuel supply line when removed from the carburator . Also, when the wobble pump was pumped, very little fuel came out while pumping.
The pilot was uninjured, the aircraft received substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY 12/04/2015 AT 16:15 LOCAL, N2991B DEPARTED VINE GROVE KY (70KY). ON CLIMB OUT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED TO FAA INVESTIGATOR THAT "IT WAS A NICE CALM CLEAR DAY WITH NO WIND AND HE WANTED TO DO SOME PATTERN WORK." HE STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INCLUDING VISUAL VERIFICATION OF FUEL IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING TANKS, APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS IN EACH, THE AUX TANK CANNOT BE VERIFIED VISUALLY. HE DECIDED TO TAXI TO THE FAR END OF GRASS RUNWAY 29 TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TIME TO REACH OPERATING TEMP. ALL BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKS SEEMED NORMAL. WITH 10 DEG FLAPS, THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND DISTANCE WAS NORMAL. THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMING WELL WITH A POSITIVE CLIMB ESTABLISHED, SO HE RAISED THE GEAR AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. AT THAT POINT, HE STATED HE ESTIMATED TO BE APPROX 150 FEET AGL, WITH MOST OF THE RUNWAY BEHIND HIM, THEN THE ENGINE JUST QUIT. DUE TO THE BUILDINGS AND POWER LINES AROUND THE AIRPORT, HE SELECTED A LANDING SITE ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OFF THE NOSE, A PAVED STREET (VALLEY VIEW DRIVE). HE CLIPPED A SET OF POWER LINES AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN JUST A FEW SECONDS ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. HE SHUT OFF THE MAGS & MASTER, MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM AUX TO OFF, AND GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. EMS RESPONSE WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATE. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THE ACCIDENT OVER AND OVER, THE D-35 HAS ONLY ONE FUEL GAUGE AND TWO SWITCHES USED TO SELECT THE TANK INDICATED. THE FUEL SELECTOR HAS 4 POSITIONS LEFT, RIGHT, AUX AND OFF. (YOU CAN HAVE THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE AUX TANK AND THE FUEL INDICATOR ON A DIFFERENT TANK.) PILOT STATED IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE MISTAKENLY VERIFIED THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE AUX TANK WITH THE INDICATOR SET TO ONE OF THE MAIN TANKS. IT WAS VERIFIED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THE AUX TANK ONLY HELD 6 QUARTS OF FUEL AND, WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE AUX POSITION, VERY LITTLE FUEL CAME OUT OF THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE WHEN REMOVED FROM THE CARBURATOR . ALSO, WHEN THE WOBBLE PUMP WAS PUMPED, VERY LITTLE FUEL CAME OUT WHILE PUMPING.
THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL 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.