Narrative:

I was departing hansom field, bedford, ma, on runway 29. After performing a ground run-up and magnetic check, which were normal, I took the runway, applied power and all seemed normal on the takeoff roll. After liftoff, I retracted the gear to gain altitude. At this time, there was an abrupt power loss. I lowered the nose to maintain airspeed and put the gear selector in the down position. Then, I turned on the boost pump and the engine started to produce power, but at this point ground contact was made and I thought it prudent to cut power and shut off magnetos and master switch to avert the possibility of fire. The nose gear and right gear had come down and locked, but the left gear did not have time to fully extend prior to ground contact. The plane veered off the left side of the runway and stopped. At this point, I immediately evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. After the results of the after incident inspection were known, I suspect that when I was taxiing and performing the run-up prior to takeoff I was using one of the tip tanks that was nearly empty and I picked up a gulp of air that showed up on the takeoff, even though I was on the main tanks for takeoff. I will and would recommend using only tanks with a sufficient amount of fuel to preclude picking up air, especially on a very hot day which was when this incident happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHORTLY AFTER GEAR RETRACTION ON TKOF FROM BED, PLT OF NAVION EXPERIENCES MOMENTARY ENG FAILURE. UNABLE TO RESTORE PWR OR EXTEND GEAR COMPLETELY BEFORE RECONTACTING RWY.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING HANSOM FIELD, BEDFORD, MA, ON RWY 29. AFTER PERFORMING A GND RUN-UP AND MAGNETIC CHK, WHICH WERE NORMAL, I TOOK THE RWY, APPLIED PWR AND ALL SEEMED NORMAL ON THE TKOF ROLL. AFTER LIFTOFF, I RETRACTED THE GEAR TO GAIN ALT. AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS AN ABRUPT PWR LOSS. I LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD AND PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR IN THE DOWN POS. THEN, I TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP AND THE ENG STARTED TO PRODUCE PWR, BUT AT THIS POINT GND CONTACT WAS MADE AND I THOUGHT IT PRUDENT TO CUT PWR AND SHUT OFF MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH TO AVERT THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. THE NOSE GEAR AND R GEAR HAD COME DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT THE L GEAR DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FULLY EXTEND PRIOR TO GND CONTACT. THE PLANE VEERED OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT, I IMMEDIATELY EVACED THE ACFT. AFTER THE RESULTS OF THE AFTER INCIDENT INSPECTION WERE KNOWN, I SUSPECT THAT WHEN I WAS TAXIING AND PERFORMING THE RUN-UP PRIOR TO TKOF I WAS USING ONE OF THE TIP TANKS THAT WAS NEARLY EMPTY AND I PICKED UP A GULP OF AIR THAT SHOWED UP ON THE TKOF, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ON THE MAIN TANKS FOR TKOF. I WILL AND WOULD RECOMMEND USING ONLY TANKS WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF FUEL TO PRECLUDE PICKING UP AIR, ESPECIALLY ON A VERY HOT DAY WHICH WAS WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.