Background
The day before the accident, airport personnel observed the pilot conducting multiple takeoffs and landings in the accident airplane. The pilot contacted the mechanic who performed the last annual inspection, stating that the airplane was not developing power. The mechanic advised the pilot to leave it on the ground and promised to examine it the following Monday.
Departure and Maneuvers
On the day of the accident, witnesses reported that the engine noise remained constant but did not seem to be at full RPM. The airplane barely cleared the perimeter fence at the departure end of the 6,337-foot runway. After departure, the airplane executed a series of descending left turns.
Impact and Fire
The airplane impacted two homes approximately half a mile from the runway. A post-crash fire consumed most of the airplane, with the exception of an 8-foot section of the empennage and the outboard half of the left wing. The engine sustained substantial fire damage. The fuel injector and electric fuel pump were consumed in the fire.
Examination
Examination of the airframe and disassembly of the engine did not reveal evidence of any catastrophic failures. The pilot had accumulated about 90 hours in the airplane in the year prior to the accident.