What happened
During a routine takeoff climb, a single-engine aircraft experienced an engine malfunction at approximately 150 feet above ground level. The pilot reported that the takeoff initially proceeded normally with the engine performing smoothly and all instruments within normal operating ranges. At the time of the incident, the fuel selector was set to the right tank, which contained approximately 17 gallons of fuel.
As the pilot reduced the propeller RPM at 150 feet agl, the engine began cutting out, though it did not cease running entirely. The pilot confirmed that the fuel boost pump was active and noted that both fuel and oil pressure gauges remained in the green arc. In an attempt to rectify the issue, the pilot switched to a different fuel tank; however, there was insufficient time to attempt an engine restart before the aircraft ditched in a lake located off the end of the runway. The second pilot noted that the engine appeared to regain power just prior to the impact with the water.
Prior to the accident, the pilot had fueled all four individual fuel tanks to capacity and had completed three unremarkable flights that consumed roughly 50 percent of the total fuel supply. No developing engine problems had been observed during those previous operations.