What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The privacy data omittedpilot had the aircraft annual inspection performed by a part 65 facility at the Lamesa airport.
The pilot stated they conducted a pre-flight, magneto check and carb-heat test. Everything was fine. The pilot stated both tanks were full of fuel. The pilot stated the right wing tank was selected. The pilot stated they took off on runway 34 at kluv and flew the pattern landing for a touch and go.
After landing on 34 the pilot raised the flaps, applied power and rotated at take-off speed. The aircraft climbed to approximately 100 feet and the engine stopped making power.
The pilot landed hard in a field at the departure end of runway 34.
The nose gear folded back into the belly of the aircraft and both wings have skin wrinkling that would indicated spar damage.
Inspection of the aircraft revealed the right wing tank was full of fuel and the left wing was almost empty.
Inspection of the fuel selector and an interview with the pilot revealed the wrong end of the selector handle was being used to select fuel. The arrow end was not being used. This may have caused the left fuel tank to be supplying fuel when they thought the right wing tank was selected. At the time of FAA inspection the fuel selector was in a position that should have stopped (or may have limited) the fuel supply to the engine.
The pilot and the recovery personnel both said they did not touch the fuel selector during the flight, or after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT HAD THE AIRCRAFT ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED BY A PART 65 FACILITY AT THE LAMESA AIRPORT.
THE PILOT STATED THEY CONDUCTED A PRE-FLIGHT, MAGNETO CHECK AND CARB-HEAT TEST. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THE PILOT STATED BOTH TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS SELECTED. THE PILOT STATED THEY TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 34 AT KLUV AND FLEW THE PATTERN LANDING FOR A TOUCH AND GO.
AFTER LANDING ON 34 THE PILOT RAISED THE FLAPS, APPLIED POWER AND ROTATED AT TAKE-OFF SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AND THE ENGINE STOPPED MAKING POWER.
THE PILOT LANDED HARD IN A FIELD AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 34.
THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK INTO THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT AND BOTH WINGS HAVE SKIN WRINKLING THAT WOULD INDICATED SPAR DAMAGE.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS FULL OF FUEL AND THE LEFT WING WAS ALMOST EMPTY.
INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR AND AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT REVEALED THE WRONG END OF THE SELECTOR HANDLE WAS BEING USED TO SELECT FUEL. THE ARROW END WAS NOT BEING USED. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO BE SUPPLYING FUEL WHEN THEY THOUGHT THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS SELECTED. AT THE TIME OF FAA INSPECTION THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN A POSITION THAT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED (OR MAY HAVE LIMITED) THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE.
THE PILOT AND THE RECOVERY PERSONNEL BOTH SAID THEY DID NOT TOUCH THE FUEL SELECTOR DURING THE FLIGHT, OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.