What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed Okeechobee County Airport (kobe), Okeechobee, Florida with two passengers on board for marathon, FL. A couple minutes after takeoff and climb out to about 500 feet the engine sputtered and lost power. The pilot attempted to correct the engine power loss by switching fuel tanks from right main tank to left main tank with no effect. The pilot adjusted the carburetor heat with no effect. The pilot declared an emergency and turned left to attempt a return to the airport when the aircraft crashed into a field just over the kobe airport fence line. The aircraft had substantial damage to the airframe, wings then was destroyed in a post-crash fire making this an accident. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The two passengers sustained serious injuries. The accident investigation revealed that the drilled bolt, washer, castellated nut and cotter pin were missing from the throttle control assembly that connects the throttle lever to the pressure carburetor. The bolt, washer and nut were found in the engine cowling at the aircraft recovery site showing improper maintenance. The pilot did not have control of the engine power setting, throttle and carburetor causing the accident due to maintenance not installing the bolt, washer, nut and cotter pin correctly. Without control of the engine power setting the aircraft lost power causing the aircraft to impact the ground resulting in the post-crash fire and destruction of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT (KOBE), OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD FOR MARATHON, FL. A COUPLE MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF AND CLIMB OUT TO ABOUT 500 FEET THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE ENGINE POWER LOSS BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS FROM RIGHT MAIN TANK TO LEFT MAIN TANK WITH NO EFFECT. THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT WITH NO EFFECT. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND TURNED LEFT TO ATTEMPT A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A FIELD JUST OVER THE KOBE AIRPORT FENCE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME, WINGS THEN WAS DESTROYED IN A POST-CRASH FIRE MAKING THIS AN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE DRILLED BOLT, WASHER, CASTELLATED NUT AND COTTER PIN WERE MISSING FROM THE THROTTLE CONTROL ASSEMBLY THAT CONNECTS THE THROTTLE LEVER TO THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR. THE BOLT, WASHER AND NUT WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINE COWLING AT THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SITE SHOWING IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OF THE ENGINE POWER SETTING, THROTTLE AND CARBURETOR CAUSING THE ACCIDENT DUE TO MAINTENANCE NOT INSTALLING THE BOLT, WASHER, NUT AND COTTER PIN CORRECTLY. WITHOUT CONTROL OF THE ENGINE POWER SETTING THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO IMPACT THE GROUND RESULTING IN THE POST-CRASH FIRE AND DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.