What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported after touch and go landing engine sputtered and then stopped. Pilot made forced landing in a soft field approximately 1/4 mile from departure end of runway. Aircraft sustained substantial damage. Post crash engine examination by a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic disclosed no abnormalities and the engine operated normally at low RPM power settings. Post crash examination could not duplicate reported engine malfunction. (.4) on February 28, 2002, about 1315 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N1915V, registered to, and operated by euphoria limited, as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a forced landing following loss of engine power during takeoff from Marion, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft, received minor injuries, and the aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that she had flown to Marion airport, and had performed a few touch-and-go landings, followed by a full stop landing. She stated that as she was taking off to fly back to elizabethtown, while at an altitude of about 500 feet, she noticed a large drop in power. She said that with full power applied, the aircraft engine "surged a couple of times", and she executed a forced landing to an open field, during which the aircraft incurred damage to the airframe. An FAA certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic, with an inspection authorization rating, stated to the NTSB that he examined the accident airplane and found no anomalies with the aircraft's fuel, ignition and induction systems. In addition, the mechanic stated that he performed a "test run" on the engine, operating it to about 1,700 rpms, and it functioned normally.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED AFTER TOUCH AND GO LANDING ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN STOPPED. PILOT MADE FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POST CRASH ENGINE EXAMINATION BY A LICENSED AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC DISCLOSED NO ABNORMALITIES AND THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY AT LOW RPM POWER SETTINGS. POST CRASH EXAMINATION COULD NOT DUPLICATE REPORTED ENGINE MALFUNCTION. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 28, 2002, ABOUT 1315 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172, N1915V, REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY EUPHORIA LIMITED, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING TAKEOFF FROM MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE HAD FLOWN TO MARION AIRPORT, AND HAD PERFORMED A FEW TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS, FOLLOWED BY A FULL STOP LANDING. SHE STATED THAT AS SHE WAS TAKING OFF TO FLY BACK TO ELIZABETHTOWN, WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 500 FEET, SHE NOTICED A LARGE DROP IN POWER. SHE SAID THAT WITH FULL POWER APPLIED, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE "SURGED A COUPLE OF TIMES", AND SHE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD, DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. AN FAA CERTIFICATED AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC, WITH AN INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION RATING, STATED TO THE NTSB THAT HE EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND FOUND NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL, IGNITION AND INDUCTION SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A "TEST RUN" ON THE ENGINE, OPERATING IT TO ABOUT 1,700 RPMS, AND IT FUNCTIONED NORMALLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.