What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Due to the low air temperature of 14 degrees f, the pilot preheated the aircraft for several hours until the EGT read 85 degrees f. he sampled the fuel tanks and found no contaminants. The measured fuel quantity was four gallons in the right tank, and eight gallons in the left tank. The engine started and ran normally. The pilot completed the pre take off checklist for the twenty minute repositioning flight for an annual inspection. The right wing was to have a fuel line seep repaired, and therefore the pilot positioned the fuel selector to the right tank. He decided to perform a maximum performance takeoff since his aircraft has several STC?s including a sportsman stol kit, aileron gap seals, and droop tips. After entering the runway and applying full power, the aircraft quickly became airborne and climbed at an estimated twenty degree climb angle. At approximately 500 feet altitude, the engine had a complete loss of power. The pilot pitched down to gain increased airspeed and switched the fuel selector from the right to the left fuel tank. The engine did not restart. The pilot landed on the runway, applied brakes, and impacted a snow bank at a low groundspeed. The pilot shut off the mixture, positioned the fuel selector to the off position, and exited the aircraft without injury.
Post flight inspection revealed no damage to the airframe or engine. No cause for the loss of engine power was determined.
As the FAA filed it
DUE TO THE LOW AIR TEMPERATURE OF 14 DEGREES F, THE PILOT PREHEATED THE AIRCRAFT FOR SEVERAL HOURS UNTIL THE EGT READ 85 DEGREES F. HE SAMPLED THE FUEL TANKS AND FOUND NO CONTAMINANTS. THE MEASURED FUEL QUANTITY WAS FOUR GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK, AND EIGHT GALLONS IN THE LEFT TANK. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY. THE PILOT COMPLETED THE PRE TAKE OFF CHECKLIST FOR THE TWENTY MINUTE REPOSITIONING FLIGHT FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE RIGHT WING WAS TO HAVE A FUEL LINE SEEP REPAIRED, AND THEREFORE THE PILOT POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK. HE DECIDED TO PERFORM A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF SINCE HIS AIRCRAFT HAS SEVERAL STC?S INCLUDING A SPORTSMAN STOL KIT, AILERON GAP SEALS, AND DROOP TIPS. AFTER ENTERING THE RUNWAY AND APPLYING FULL POWER, THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY BECAME AIRBORNE AND CLIMBED AT AN ESTIMATED TWENTY DEGREE CLIMB ANGLE. AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET ALTITUDE, THE ENGINE HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT PITCHED DOWN TO GAIN INCREASED AIRSPEED AND SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. THE PILOT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY, APPLIED BRAKES, AND IMPACTED A SNOW BANK AT A LOW GROUNDSPEED. THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE MIXTURE, POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. NO CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS DETERMINED.
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