What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC stated during his preflight that several ounces of water was drained from the left and right fuel tanks. He stated that he drained the gasculator using the push-pull cable to actuate the drain valve but did not collect the fuel sample for inspection. Following the preflight, he stated that the engine run-up checks were normal. During the take-off climb at approximately 250 feet, the engine failed. The PIC lowered the nose to maintain airspeed until contacting trees. The aircraft came to rest in a near vertical position. During the investigation the primary fuel vent was found completely blocked with a mud-dobber nest, however both fuel tanks had vented fuel caps installed. The gasculator was found to have mixture of automotive fuel and avgas. It contained a jelly-slime like substance which was consistent with ethanol’s absorption of water. The gasculator bowl and fuel screen contained debris consistent with the corrosion found inside the bowl. The gasculator push-pull drain cable was binding which would not allow operation of the drain valve. The float chamber of the carburetor contained rust and a trace of water.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC STATED DURING HIS PREFLIGHT THAT SEVERAL OUNCES OF WATER WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. HE STATED THAT HE DRAINED THE GASCULATOR USING THE PUSH-PULL CABLE TO ACTUATE THE DRAIN VALVE BUT DID NOT COLLECT THE FUEL SAMPLE FOR INSPECTION. FOLLOWING THE PREFLIGHT, HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE RUN-UP CHECKS WERE NORMAL. DURING THE TAKE-OFF CLIMB AT APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PIC LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED UNTIL CONTACTING TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE PRIMARY FUEL VENT WAS FOUND COMPLETELY BLOCKED WITH A MUD-DOBBER NEST, HOWEVER BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD VENTED FUEL CAPS INSTALLED. THE GASCULATOR WAS FOUND TO HAVE MIXTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL AND AVGAS. IT CONTAINED A JELLY-SLIME LIKE SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH ETHANOL’S ABSORPTION OF WATER. THE GASCULATOR BOWL AND FUEL SCREEN CONTAINED DEBRIS CONSISTENT WITH THE CORROSION FOUND INSIDE THE BOWL. THE GASCULATOR PUSH-PULL DRAIN CABLE WAS BINDING WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW OPERATION OF THE DRAIN VALVE. THE FLOAT CHAMBER OF THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED RUST AND A TRACE OF WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.