What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 19, 2000, at 1715 EDT, a Cessna 152, N67495, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff form Culpeper Regional Airport (cjr), Culpeper, Virginia. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the solo cross country flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. After landign at cjr, the pilot completed the after-landind and before takeoff checklist and taxied back to runway 9 for departure. He advanced the throttle to full power and during the takeoff roll he noticed no abnormalities of the engine gauge indications. As the airplane reached avout 40 feet above the ground, it experienced a reduction in power, "as if the throttle was pulled back". The pilot reported there was no coughing or backfiring associated with the power reduction, and the engine maintained a constant speed of 1700 rpm's. the pilot retarded the throttle in an attempt to land on the remaining runway; however, he received no response from the engine. He advanced and retarded the throttle several times as the engine power remained constant at 1700 rpm's. the pilot then pulled back the mixture control to "reduce the airplane's power" and performed a forced landing in a field. During the landing rollout the airplane impacted a hole and tipped on its nose. The pilot turned the fuel selector and the master switch to their off positions before exiting the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed no fuel in the fuel strainer, sump drain, or carburetor; however, both fuel tanks were about half full. No obstructions or leaks were abserved in the fuel lines. Additionally, it was noted that the throttle linkage had become disconnected from the carburetor. Further examination of the sight and of the aircraft engine carburetor did not reveal the carburetor linkage bolt. The aircraft engine was run at a repair station and performance was satisfactory. The linkage was good and the carburetor o.k. there was no explanation of why the carburetor bolt was missing. Aircraft had flown 70.6 hours since the last annual. Examination of logbooks reveal no carburetor or carburetor linkage maintenance.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 19, 2000, AT 1715 EDT, A CESSNA 152, N67495, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF FORM CULPEPER REGIONAL AIRPORT (CJR), CULPEPER, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. AFTER LANDIGN AT CJR, THE PILOT COMPLETED THE AFTER-LANDIND AND BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST AND TAXIED BACK TO RUNWAY 9 FOR DEPARTURE. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO FULL POWER AND DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL HE NOTICED NO ABNORMALITIES OF THE ENGINE GAUGE INDICATIONS. AS THE AIRPLANE REACHED AVOUT 40 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, IT EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN POWER, "AS IF THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK". THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WAS NO COUGHING OR BACKFIRING ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER REDUCTION, AND THE ENGINE MAINTAINED A CONSTANT SPEED OF 1700 RPM'S. THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. HE ADVANCED AND RETARDED THE THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES AS THE ENGINE POWER REMAINED CONSTANT AT 1700 RPM'S. THE PILOT THEN PULLED BACK THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO "REDUCE THE AIRPLANE'S POWER" AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A HOLE AND TIPPED ON ITS NOSE. THE PILOT TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR AND THE MASTER SWITCH TO THEIR OFF POSITIONS BEFORE EXITING THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE FUEL STRAINER, SUMP DRAIN, OR CARBURETOR; HOWEVER, BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE ABOUT HALF FULL. NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR LEAKS WERE ABSERVED IN THE FUEL LINES. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CARBURETOR. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE SIGHT AND OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE CARBURETOR DID NOT REVEAL THE CARBURETOR LINKAGE BOLT. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUN AT A REPAIR STATION AND PERFORMANCE WAS SATISFACTORY. THE LINKAGE WAS GOOD AND THE CARBURETOR O.K. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION OF WHY THE CARBURETOR BOLT WAS MISSING. AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN 70.6 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL. EXAMINATION OF LOGBOOKS REVEAL NO CARBURETOR OR CARBURETOR LINKAGE MAINTENANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.