Accident Details
A private pilot performed a forced landing after the engine lost power during the initial climb following takeoff. The aircraft touched down hard and nosed over during the landing. The pilot and both passengers reported that the pilot had checked the fuel prior to the flight. During the takeoff climb, the engine began to sputter and then stopped completely.
Witness Observations
A witness described the sequence: the airplane accelerated downward with no forward airspeed or groundspeed, struck the ground in a level attitude, and bounced inverted.
Post-Accident Investigation
An FAA inspector who was present at the airport at the time of the accident stated that he could neither smell nor see any evidence of fuel at the accident site. A visual examination of the fuel tanks revealed them to be dry. The most recent fuel purchase was on March 23, 1999, when the pilot topped off the tanks with 18 gallons of fuel. According to the pilot's logbook, the engine had operated for approximately 75 minutes since that refueling.
Engine Test Run
The NTSB investigator-in-charge and the FAA inspector conducted an engine test run for 14 minutes at various power settings. No anomalies were noted during the test run.