Event Description
During the initial climbout after takeoff, at approximately 880 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing back to the airport. During the landing, the landing gear struck the perimeter fence, and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground and skidded into the localizer antennas.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that after the power loss, he switched fuel tanks and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump (original equipment). However, he did not attempt an engine restart because his focus was on landing and avoiding a stall.
Post-accident Inspection
During the inspection of the airplane, the engine was run and no anomalies were found. The fuel tanks were compromised due to the accident, but no fuel system anomalies were identified. No water contamination was evident in the fuel.
Preflight Actions
The pilot reported that during preflight, he had checked the main fuel tanks for contamination but did not check the auxiliary wing tanks. Prior to the flight, the pilot had turned on the fuel pumps for the STC'd auxiliary fuel tanks, which pumped fuel into the main tanks. On the two previous maintenance test flights, the pilot had not turned on the auxiliary fuel pumps.