What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airplane was pre-flighted and took off without incident, as airman climbed out engine began to sputter and cough with an apparent loss of engine power. Symptoms lessened however, pilot determined that it was best to land, as he was attempting to return to runway engine continued to sputter with power loss. Engine died and lost all power. Pilot was attempting to make the runway when he hit a wooden fence short of the runway and subsequently flipped the plane. The plane landed inverted and pilot had to be cut from the seatbelts in order to be rescued. Suspect fuel valves were not in the open position before takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
AIRPLANE WAS PRE-FLIGHTED AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT, AS AIRMAN CLIMBED OUT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND COUGH WITH AN APPARENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. SYMPTOMS LESSENED HOWEVER, PILOT DETERMINED THAT IT WAS BEST TO LAND, AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO RUNWAY ENGINE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER WITH POWER LOSS. ENGINE DIED AND LOST ALL POWER. PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY WHEN HE HIT A WOODEN FENCE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLIPPED THE PLANE. THE PLANE LANDED INVERTED AND PILOT HAD TO BE CUT FROM THE SEATBELTS IN ORDER TO BE RESCUED. SUSPECT FUEL VALVES WERE NOT IN THE OPEN POSITION BEFORE TAKEOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.