What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on touch and go. Tried land but pitched up. Lost control and stalled. No engine defects found. (.4) the student pilot departed with a certified flight instructor for a 90 day check flight. The student pilot flew with the instructor approximately 45 minutes. The instructor then deplaned and the student pilot departed on a solo flight to 'practice touch and goes.' The instructor did not witness the solo flight or the accident. He was inside a hangar when he heard the sound of impact. A witness stated, 'the unusualness of its position drew my eyes to it. It was headed up at a severe pitch, then quickly banked to the right, and went almost straight into the ground into the woods just off the runway. The plane never rolled. It turned like a pinwheel.' The student pilot had 86 hours of total time, 5 hours of which were in the 11 months prior to the accident with no time accumulated in the 3 months prior to the accident. (-23) at approximately 4:15 pm on January 17, 1998, a student pilot who was on a solo flight was practicing touch and goes when just after takeoff his engine lost power, and he crashed just off the right side of the departure end of runway 32. Investigation reveals that after takeoff the aircraft's engine lost power. The pilot was unable to land straight ahead or make it back to the runway. Pilot opted to try to make a forced landing in a field adjacent to the airport but pitched up too steep and stalled. Pilot lost control and crashed. The student pilot received serious injuries and the aircraft was destroyed. Investigation by Continental engine air safety investigators has failed to date to reveal any cause of the engine failure. Unablt tointerview the pilot at this time due to the severity of his injuries. Interview will be conducted at appropriate future date.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON TOUCH AND GO. TRIED LAND BUT PITCHED UP. LOST CONTROL AND STALLED. NO ENGINE DEFECTS FOUND. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED WITH A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR A 90 DAY CHECK FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT FLEW WITH THE INSTRUCTOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN DEPLANED AND THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED ON A SOLO FLIGHT TO 'PRACTICE TOUCH AND GOES.' THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT WITNESS THE SOLO FLIGHT OR THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS INSIDE A HANGAR WHEN HE HEARD THE SOUND OF IMPACT. A WITNESS STATED, 'THE UNUSUALNESS OF ITS POSITION DREW MY EYES TO IT. IT WAS HEADED UP AT A SEVERE PITCH, THEN QUICKLY BANKED TO THE RIGHT, AND WENT ALMOST STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND INTO THE WOODS JUST OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PLANE NEVER ROLLED. IT TURNED LIKE A PINWHEEL.' THE STUDENT PILOT HAD 86 HOURS OF TOTAL TIME, 5 HOURS OF WHICH WERE IN THE 11 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WITH NO TIME ACCUMULATED IN THE 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 4:15 PM ON JANUARY 17, 1998, A STUDENT PILOT WHO WAS ON A SOLO FLIGHT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GOES WHEN JUST AFTER TAKEOFF HIS ENGINE LOST POWER, AND HE CRASHED JUST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 32. INVESTIGATION REVEALS THAT AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD OR MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY. PILOT OPTED TO TRY TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT BUT PITCHED UP TOO STEEP AND STALLED. PILOT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. INVESTIGATION BY CONTINENTAL ENGINE AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS HAS FAILED TO DATE TO REVEAL ANY CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. UNABLT TOINTERVIEW THE PILOT AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF HIS INJURIES. INTERVIEW WILL BE CONDUCTED AT APPROPRIATE FUTURE DATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.