Hubbard Airport: Hubbard, Oregon

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The pilot reported that he made a normal approach and wheel landing on runway 2. He said he followed his standard landing procedure for the airplane, landing on the main wheels and holding the tail off the ground. He stated that as the tail lowered, he would normally begin braking while pulling back on the control stick to keep the tail down. The pilot said that he believes he began braking slightly early, before the tail was firmly on the ground. As the airplane decelerated, the tail rose until the propeller impacted the ground. Thereafter, the airplane nosed over and stopped in an inverted attitude. The pilot indicated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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The pilot said, in a telephone interview, that he used a check-list to preflight the airplane, and he checked the fuel tanks for contamination. He said he started the engine with the fuel selector in the both position, and taxied with it in the left main position. He performed his engine run-up with the fuel selector in the right main position. The pilot said that as he took the active runway 02 for takeoff, he switched the fuel selector to the both position. Witnesses said that the airplane had just taken off, when the engine appeared to lose power. The pilot performed a forced landing into a Christmas tree farm. He was critically injured during the landing; he was not wearing shoulder harnesses. On June 21, 2005, the pilot submitted a written statement which said: "As I taxied to the departure end of Rwy 02 I cycled the fuel selector valve from L to R and back to Main with no interruption of engine operation." He further said that the airplane's engine
run up was normal and the takeoff was normal until immediately after takeoff when the engine quit with no sputtering or surging. The engine mount was bent, the right wing, fuselage, and empennage were bent, wrinkled, and twisted. The engine was test run through its full power band. No pre impact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.