What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A written statement from the pilot stated that he landed at the nut tree airport (kvcb) from the willows/glenn county airport (kwlw). He fueled up at kvcb and did his preflight checks and started the plane up. He listened to the weather and taxied to rwy 20. During the runup, everything was normal. The pilot lined up on the runway and applied full power. As the aircraft was climbing through approximately 200 to 250 ft AGL, he heard the engine sputtering. He stated that he looked at the RPM gauge and it was reading between 1700 to 1800 rpms. He said that he looked down to verify the mixture and the throttle settings and both of them were in the take-off position. He said that the aircraft was not climbing anymore and was struggling to maintain altitude. He said that as soon as the airspeed started to drop, he focused on maintaining positive aircraft control. He pitched the nose down and started to look for
Potential landing options. His first option was to put it straight down but he was worried about hitting a canal wall/ditch at high speed. He said his second option was an open field to the left next to a small road. He said that was aiming for the road but when he realized that he would not be able to make it he decided to land on the open field. He stated that the engine continued to sputter during the descent. Investigation at the accident site revealed that the aircraft had fuel. The throttle was closed. The mixture was pulled to cutoff and the fuel selector was shutoff from an ASI that was at the accident site prior to this inspectors arrival. The ASI did state that when he arrived the mixtue and throttle were both full forward and the fuel shutoff valve was on. The aircrafts left main and nose landing gear were detached from the aircraft. The left main landing gear was severely damaged. The propeller had signatures that the engine was operating at a low RPM. The left wing and fuselage also had substantial damage. The aircraft's engine logbook showed that the aircraft's last annual was performed on 05/05/2022.
As the FAA filed it
A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED AT THE NUT TREE AIRPORT (KVCB) FROM THE WILLOWS/GLENN COUNTY AIRPORT (KWLW). HE FUELED UP AT KVCB AND DID HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS AND STARTED THE PLANE UP. HE LISTENED TO THE WEATHER AND TAXIED TO RWY 20. DURING THE RUNUP, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE PILOT LINED UP ON THE RUNWAY AND APPLIED FULL POWER. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 250 FT AGL, HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. HE STATED THAT HE LOOKED AT THE RPM GAUGE AND IT WAS READING BETWEEN 1700 TO 1800 RPMS. HE SAID THAT HE LOOKED DOWN TO VERIFY THE MIXTURE AND THE THROTTLE SETTINGS AND BOTH OF THEM WERE IN THE TAKE-OFF POSITION. HE SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING ANYMORE AND WAS STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE SAID THAT AS SOON AS THE AIRSPEED STARTED TO DROP, HE FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING POSITIVE AIRCRAFT CONTROL. HE PITCHED THE NOSE DOWN AND STARTED TO LOOK FOR
POTENTIAL LANDING OPTIONS. HIS FIRST OPTION WAS TO PUT IT STRAIGHT DOWN BUT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HITTING A CANAL WALL/DITCH AT HIGH SPEED. HE SAID HIS SECOND OPTION WAS AN OPEN FIELD TO THE LEFT NEXT TO A SMALL ROAD. HE SAID THAT WAS AIMING FOR THE ROAD BUT WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT HE DECIDED TO LAND ON THE OPEN FIELD. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER DURING THE DESCENT. INVESTIGATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL. THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED. THE MIXTURE WAS PULLED TO CUTOFF AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SHUTOFF FROM AN ASI THAT WAS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE PRIOR TO THIS INSPECTORS ARRIVAL. THE ASI DID STATE THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED THE MIXTUE AND THROTTLE WERE BOTH FULL FORWARD AND THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS ON. THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT MAIN AND NOSE LANDING GEAR WERE DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE PROPELLER HAD SIGNATURES THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT A LOW RPM. THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE ALSO HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE LOGBOOK SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S LAST ANNUAL WAS PERFORMED ON 05/05/2022.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.