What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 9, 2021 at 1735 CDT Alamo Texas, N5679X an Aero Commander SR2 thrush operating on a part 137 certificate from (43TX) mid-valley dusters inc., airport indicated a loss of power about 100 yards past the departure end of the runway. The pilot performed an emergency landing colliding with brush and small trees. No injuries reported by pilot.
The pilot stated he aborted climb out due to an odd engine sound, landing in an area before an upcoming powerline and high traffic road. The pilot landed land short of the obstacles and collided with a treeline before stopping the aircraft.
Aircraft: substantial damage to both outboard wing leading edges, ribs and wing tips. Lower spray boom equipment torn from lower attach points.
Post accident : at the request of the NTSB, a local agricultural operator was employed to perform engine an run and limited inspection of the engine and aircraft.
FAA iic excerpts from the report:
A visual inspection of the engine for mechanical condition with no abnormalities reported. No fuel contamination was noted in the fuel tank sumps, header tank sumps, and manual auxiliary fuel pump sump. The rear carburetor bowl drain was removed and report noted, ?a small amount of water contaminated fuel (less than one ounce) was observed.
"Everything functioned normally during the run up to 1800 RPM, mags checked with normal drop, propeller cycled properly". The report concluded: ?one possible reason for loss of power on take-off could have been a small amount of water contamination in the fuel system causing momentary loss of power?.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 9, 2021 AT 1735 CDT ALAMO TEXAS, N5679X AN AERO COMMANDER SR2 THRUSH OPERATING ON A PART 137 CERTIFICATE FROM (43TX) MID-VALLEY DUSTERS INC., AIRPORT INDICATED A LOSS OF POWER ABOUT 100 YARDS PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING COLLIDING WITH BRUSH AND SMALL TREES. NO INJURIES REPORTED BY PILOT.
THE PILOT STATED HE ABORTED CLIMB OUT DUE TO AN ODD ENGINE SOUND, LANDING IN AN AREA BEFORE AN UPCOMING POWERLINE AND HIGH TRAFFIC ROAD. THE PILOT LANDED LAND SHORT OF THE OBSTACLES AND COLLIDED WITH A TREELINE BEFORE STOPPING THE AIRCRAFT.
AIRCRAFT: SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH OUTBOARD WING LEADING EDGES, RIBS AND WING TIPS. LOWER SPRAY BOOM EQUIPMENT TORN FROM LOWER ATTACH POINTS.
POST ACCIDENT : AT THE REQUEST OF THE NTSB, A LOCAL AGRICULTURAL OPERATOR WAS EMPLOYED TO PERFORM ENGINE AN RUN AND LIMITED INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT.
FAA IIC EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORT:
A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FOR MECHANICAL CONDITION WITH NO ABNORMALITIES REPORTED. NO FUEL CONTAMINATION WAS NOTED IN THE FUEL TANK SUMPS, HEADER TANK SUMPS, AND MANUAL AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP SUMP. THE REAR CARBURETOR BOWL DRAIN WAS REMOVED AND REPORT NOTED, ?A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER CONTAMINATED FUEL (LESS THAN ONE OUNCE) WAS OBSERVED.
"EVERYTHING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DURING THE RUN UP TO 1800 RPM, MAGS CHECKED WITH NORMAL DROP, PROPELLER CYCLED PROPERLY". THE REPORT CONCLUDED: ?ONE POSSIBLE REASON FOR LOSS OF POWER ON TAKE-OFF COULD HAVE BEEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL SYSTEM CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER?.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.