What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot departed the airport traffic pattern and reduced from a full power climb to a cruise power climb setting and checked the CHT and EGT gages, which were indicating in the normal range. After passing 2,500 feet MSL, the engine rpm's slowed, then the engine quit altogether. While descending toward a football field for a forced landing, the pilot attempted to restart the engine without success. As he neared the field the pilot observed people on the landing area and diverted to an empty parking lot. During the landing the airplane collided with ground obstructions. Examination of the Rotax 503 engine revealed scored and heat discolored pistons. (-23) approximately three minutes into cruise climb, after departure from Corona airport, at approximately 2000 feet AGL the pilot experienced an engine failure. At the time of engine failure the aircraft was traveling eastbound and was directly over Corona high school. The pilot was able to set the aircraft down in the school parking lot on the west side of the high school. The pilot suffered minor back injuries and the ultralight aircraft sustained substantial damage. Initial investigation into the cause of the engine failure by the pilot revealed that the piston walls on at least one of the cylinders was badly scored. Due to the cost of restoring the aircraft the pilot informed this office that the insurance company claimed the wreckage and that no further evaluation of the problem will be conducted at this time. The pilot/owner stated that he will submit an m or d report on the findings of his evaluation of the engine failure if he is successful at reclaiming the aircraft back from the insurance company for restoration purposes.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN AND REDUCED FROM A FULL POWER CLIMB TO A CRUISE POWER CLIMB SETTING AND CHECKED THE CHT AND EGT GAGES, WHICH WERE INDICATING IN THE NORMAL RANGE. AFTER PASSING 2,500 FEET MSL, THE ENGINE RPM'S SLOWED, THEN THE ENGINE QUIT ALTOGETHER. WHILE DESCENDING TOWARD A FOOTBALL FIELD FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUCCESS. AS HE NEARED THE FIELD THE PILOT OBSERVED PEOPLE ON THE LANDING AREA AND DIVERTED TO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS. EXAMINATION OF THE ROTAX 503 ENGINE REVEALED SCORED AND HEAT DISCOLORED PISTONS. (-23) APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES INTO CRUISE CLIMB, AFTER DEPARTURE FROM CORONA AIRPORT, AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET AGL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING EASTBOUND AND WAS DIRECTLY OVER CORONA HIGH SCHOOL. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR BACK INJURIES AND THE ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. INITIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE BY THE PILOT REVEALED THAT THE PISTON WALLS ON AT LEAST ONE OF THE CYLINDERS WAS BADLY SCORED. DUE TO THE COST OF RESTORING THE AIRCRAFT THE PILOT INFORMED THIS OFFICE THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY CLAIMED THE WRECKAGE AND THAT NO FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE PROBLEM WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THIS TIME. THE PILOT/OWNER STATED THAT HE WILL SUBMIT AN M OR D REPORT ON THE FINDINGS OF HIS EVALUATION OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IF HE IS SUCCESSFUL AT RECLAIMING THE AIRCRAFT BACK FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR RESTORATION PURPOSES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.