What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On departure engine sputtered and aircraft went nose first into a pond. (-23) a witness stated that she saw the airplane execute a takeoff to the southwest and make a downwind turn (left traffic) parallel to the runway. Witness stated that the airplane was on a downwind leg (northeast heading) for the southwest, grass runway, when the engine began to "sputter" the airplane slowed down, stalled and crashed nearly vertically into a large pond about 6 feet deep. The witness's description of the engine "sputtering" may be accurate because the throttle and carburetor heat were found in the idle and hot position, respectively. One witness stated that the airplane simply nosed over and feff vertically into the pond. The other witness stated that airplane made a steep pull-up, then made a hammerhead-like maneuver at the top, and dive vertically into the pond.
As the FAA filed it
ON DEPARTURE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND AIRCRAFT WENT NOSE FIRST INTO A POND. (-23) A WITNESS STATED THAT SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE EXECUTE A TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTHWEST AND MAKE A DOWNWIND TURN (LEFT TRAFFIC) PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A DOWNWIND LEG (NORTHEAST HEADING) FOR THE SOUTHWEST, GRASS RUNWAY, WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "SPUTTER" THE AIRPLANE SLOWED DOWN, STALLED AND CRASHED NEARLY VERTICALLY INTO A LARGE POND ABOUT 6 FEET DEEP. THE WITNESS'S DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGINE "SPUTTERING" MAY BE ACCURATE BECAUSE THE THROTTLE AND CARBURETOR HEAT WERE FOUND IN THE IDLE AND HOT POSITION, RESPECTIVELY. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SIMPLY NOSED OVER AND FEFF VERTICALLY INTO THE POND. THE OTHER WITNESS STATED THAT AIRPLANE MADE A STEEP PULL-UP, THEN MADE A HAMMERHEAD-LIKE MANEUVER AT THE TOP, AND DIVE VERTICALLY INTO THE POND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.