Accident Summary
The airplane collided with terrain following a loss of engine power during takeoff from a temporary dirt strip. The pilot reported that after liftoff he rolled the engine back to 2,200 rpm and reduced the manifold pressure to 23 inches. He brought the gear up. The airplane was about 200 to 300 feet above ground level (agl) and climbing at 90 knots when the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing with the landing gear retracted.
Pilot Actions
After liftoff, the pilot reduced engine power settings and raised the landing gear. While climbing at 200-300 feet agl and 90 knots, the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing with the gear retracted.
Investigation Findings
All spark plugs were clean with no mechanical deformation, and the spark plug electrodes were light gray and circular. The engine rotated freely, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders in firing order. The top plugs for cylinders 2, 4, and 6 sparked with manual rotation of the crankshaft. Manual rotation of the right magneto produced spark at the leads for cylinders 1, 3, and 5. The fuel screen in the pressure carburetor was clean. Investigators put solvent into the inlet line of the fuel pump and manually rotated the pump. The pump rotated freely and fluid exited the outlet line.