BURLEY — A plane that crashed July 1 in a vacant lot near downtown Burley took off from the airport at maximum weight after more fuel was put into the tank than the pilot requested.

Student pilot and owner of the plane, Kim Johan Paulsen, 46, of Klamath Falls, Ore., was flying the 1946 Republic RC-3 airplane during take-off from the Burley J.R. “Jack” Simplot Airport, according to a fact report issued Nov. 20 by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report does not include a probable cause of the crash, which could take another seven months to be released.

According to the report, after the plane started to go down above a vacant lot at East Ninth Street and Albion Avenue, Paulsen handed the controls over to flight instructor Christopher Butler, 34, of Harper, Ore. Before the plane struck the power lines and was thrown to the ground, Butler told Paulsen they were going to crash and to brace for impact.

Paulsen received minor injuries in the crash and was able to return to Oregon the following day after being examined in a hospital emergency room. Butler sustained a shattered foot that required surgery, along with cuts and bruises.

Paulsen had recently purchased the plane in New York and was flying to Caldwell.

The report says when the pair arrived at the Burley airport they requested 30 gallons of fuel from the attendant, borrowed a courtesy vehicle and headed to a nearby cafe for breakfast. When they returned to the airport Paulsen said the attendant had filled the tank, putting in 67.7 gallons of fuel.

The pair discussed siphoning off some of the fuel but decided they would be OK. The maximum gross weight of the plane is 3,150 pounds and the pilot and instructor reported the plane’s weight at takeoff was 3,150 pounds.

According to the report, Paulsen said the engine sounded normal before takeoff and the plane became airborne about three-quarters of the way down the runway. The plane climbed to about 100 feet but seemed like it wasn’t climbing well.

Butler confirmed the throttle; mixture and propeller control lever positions and after they went over a stand of trees the plane seemed to hit “dead air.” Butler took over the controls before they crashed.

According to the report a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and said the cockpit controls were in working order and there were no mechanical anomalies of the engine or frame that would have affected the plane’s operation. Fuel samples showed there was no contamination.

Laurie Welch may be reached at lwelch@magicvalley.com or 208-677-8767.