What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The non-certificated owner and operator departed in the aircraft from runway 17 at Blackwood Airpark Airport (TX46). Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft engine lost power. The non-certificated pilot turned right and attempted to return to the airport runway. The aircraft lost altitude and collided with a fence and trees adjacent to the departure end of the runway 17. It came to rest at coordinates: 32 24? 22.55? N 97 23? 15.66? W. the aircraft was destroyed. No pilot records have been located.
The accident aircraft was identified as an Ervin Eris E quicksilver GT-400. The registration on the aircraft had been issued 10/07/2015 to the owner and operator. It was not found in the aircraft. No other airworthiness documents or aircraft records were found. A witness at the accident scene stated that the aircraft records had been destroyed in a flood approximately two years ago. There was a strong odor of automotive gasoline at the accident scene. A visual inspection of the inside of the fuel tank revealed the tank was half full. The fuel appeared to be a mixture of avgas and automotive gasoline.
Upon further investigation; the aircraft showed signs of poor maintenance upkeep. Engine fuel lines were found brittle, cracked, and broken. The engine has two carburetors. Both carburetor fuel bowls were found dry. A fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine was found broken free and showed to be in poor condition. A mass of what appeared to be putty was found placed around the fuel outlet connector on the bottom of the fuel tank. The fuel line at this location was broken. It appears the putty was placed here to stem a fuel leak. The engine air filter was extremely dirty.
As the FAA filed it
THE NON-CERTIFICATED OWNER AND OPERATOR DEPARTED IN THE AIRCRAFT FROM RUNWAY 17 AT BLACKWOOD AIRPARK AIRPORT (TX46). SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT TURNED RIGHT AND ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND TREES ADJACENT TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY 17. IT CAME TO REST AT COORDINATES: 32 24? 22.55? N 97 23? 15.66? W. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. NO PILOT RECORDS HAVE BEEN LOCATED.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN ERVIN ERIS E QUICKSILVER GT-400. THE REGISTRATION ON THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN ISSUED 10/07/2015 TO THE OWNER AND OPERATOR. IT WAS NOT FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT. NO OTHER AIRWORTHINESS DOCUMENTS OR AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE FOUND. A WITNESS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS HAD BEEN DESTROYED IN A FLOOD APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK REVEALED THE TANK WAS HALF FULL. THE FUEL APPEARED TO BE A MIXTURE OF AVGAS AND AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE.
UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION; THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SIGNS OF POOR MAINTENANCE UPKEEP. ENGINE FUEL LINES WERE FOUND BRITTLE, CRACKED, AND BROKEN. THE ENGINE HAS TWO CARBURETORS. BOTH CARBURETOR FUEL BOWLS WERE FOUND DRY. A FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE ENGINE WAS FOUND BROKEN FREE AND SHOWED TO BE IN POOR CONDITION. A MASS OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE PUTTY WAS FOUND PLACED AROUND THE FUEL OUTLET CONNECTOR ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL LINE AT THIS LOCATION WAS BROKEN. IT APPEARS THE PUTTY WAS PLACED HERE TO STEM A FUEL LEAK. THE ENGINE AIR FILTER WAS EXTREMELY DIRTY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.