What happened
During the initial climb phase of flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power precisely at the moment of rotation. Unable to maintain altitude or airspeed, the airplane settled back onto the paved surface and continued down the runway until it overran the end of the pavement. The force of the overrun caused the aircraft to flip over.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that the fuel used for this flight had been borrowed from an external source. Prior to loading the aircraft, the pilot attempted to verify the quality of the fuel by putting some into a pickup truck. When the fuel was introduced to the vehicle's engine, the truck failed to idle and subsequently lost power entirely. The pilot attempted to have the fuel analyzed to determine its condition, but this effort was unsuccessful.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the use of contaminated or unsuitable fuel. The failure of the pickup truck engine to operate on the same fuel supply strongly suggests that the aviation fuel was compromised, likely containing water or particulate matter that prevented combustion in both the ground vehicle and the aircraft engine.
Safety message
Pilots must ensure that all fuel sources are verified for quality before loading. Borrowing fuel from unknown or unverified sources poses a significant risk of introducing contaminants into the aircraft's fuel system, which can lead to catastrophic engine failure.