Accident Details
On the day of the accident, the pilot conducted a touch-and-go landing. During the subsequent takeoff, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. A witness observed the aircraft rotate and climb to approximately 50 feet when the engine lost power, noting no backfire or misfire. The witness then reported the airplane pitched down to level flight and initiated a left bank of about 60 degrees. The airplane subsequently impacted trees beyond the runway end.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot reported no recollection of the accident flight. However, on the NTSB accident form, the pilot indicated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure prior to the event. The aircraft's fuel system was examined after the accident. No fuel was drained from either wing fuel tank sump. The fuel strainer was found to be defective and did not allow fuel to be drained. A visual inspection of the fuel tanks revealed no fuel in the right tank, and approximately 1 inch of fuel in the left tank at the filler neck opening.
Engine Examination
Following the accident, the engine was examined. No anomalies were found that could be associated with a pre-impact condition, suggesting the loss of power was not due to a mechanical defect.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, which led to the airplane's descent and subsequent impact with terrain.