Piper PA-28-140 N333KQ accident near Ellijay, Georgia

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

After landing the airplane with the intent of obtaining fuel, the pilot learned that fuel services were not available at the airport and subsequently obtained 5 gallons of automotive fuel that he added to the left fuel tank. Following a pre-departure engine run-up, the takeoff proceeded normally until, about 200 feet above the ground when the engine began losing partial power, which was followed by a total power loss. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem, and stated that he "switched [fuel] tanks" as the airplane descended. The airplane impacted trees about 2,000 feet from the runway and came to rest. Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks remained intact. About 4.5 gallons of fuel were drained from the left fuel tank, and a trace amount of fuel was observed in the right fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the right fuel tank position. A subsequent test run of the engine revealed that it started almost immediately and ran at low, intermediate, and high power settings. Examination of maintenance records revealed that the engine was last overhauled nearly 25 years prior to the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for NYC08LA167 for the full record.