What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Airman was accomplishing touch and goes, take off was normal but shortly after takeoff 50 to 100 feet AGL aircraft failed to climb, aircraft would not hold altitude or airspeed, and started losing altitude. The airman did not know what his engine RPM was. The airman made the decision to land in an open field just out of the airport boundary. Airman executed an emergency flap-up landing in a freshly plowed and furrowed field. Impact was very hard nose gear first, aircraft bounced into the air and hit on all three gear then bounced again and struck on the left main gear removing the wheel tire and brake above the axle. Examination of the records indicated the aircraft was well maintained and current on AD. The aircraft engine controls were examined and all operated normally, induction system was normal, carburetor float bowl was clean and free of foreign substance. Ignitor plugs were examined and exhibited the signs of an engine that was operated very lean, chalky and grey. Student and instructor privacy data omitted indicated that the mixture was pulled out a thumbs width or so for hot day operations. Airman indicated that he used this system during his takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRMAN WAS ACCOMPLISHING TOUCH AND GOES, TAKE OFF WAS NORMAL BUT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF 50 TO 100 FEET AGL AIRCRAFT FAILED TO CLIMB, AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT HOLD ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED, AND STARTED LOSING ALTITUDE. THE AIRMAN DID NOT KNOW WHAT HIS ENGINE RPM WAS. THE AIRMAN MADE THE DECISION TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD JUST OUT OF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. AIRMAN EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY FLAP-UP LANDING IN A FRESHLY PLOWED AND FURROWED FIELD. IMPACT WAS VERY HARD NOSE GEAR FIRST, AIRCRAFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR AND HIT ON ALL THREE GEAR THEN BOUNCED AGAIN AND STRUCK ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR REMOVING THE WHEEL TIRE AND BRAKE ABOVE THE AXLE. EXAMINATION OF THE RECORDS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND CURRENT ON AD. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE CONTROLS WERE EXAMINED AND ALL OPERATED NORMALLY, INDUCTION SYSTEM WAS NORMAL, CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL WAS CLEAN AND FREE OF FOREIGN SUBSTANCE. IGNITOR PLUGS WERE EXAMINED AND EXHIBITED THE SIGNS OF AN ENGINE THAT WAS OPERATED VERY LEAN, CHALKY AND GREY. STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA O^ INDICATED THAT THE MIXTURE WAS PULLED OUT A THUMBS WIDTH OR SO FOR HOT DAY OPERATIONS. AIRMAN INDICATED THAT HE USED THIS SYSTEM DURING HIS TAKEOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.