What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N373DB, a alisport light sport experimental motorized glider on a single pilot pleasure flight encountered engine failure during climbout at approximately 170 feet AGL. Following the engine failure, the pilot leveled out aircraft and made a left turn to the east attempting to return to the airport. After left turn was made engine restarted itself allowing and additional turn to the west heading back to the airport. After several seconds the engine failed again. Pilot indicated in statement that he did not have time to stow engine and looked for area to make emergency landing. Aircraft landed beneath high tension power lines approximately 40 feet short of highway on a barbed wire cattle fence, impacting the top of the fence and spinning approximately 90 degrees prior to impacting the ground. Pilot turned off power and egressed the aircraft unassisted. Aircraft was destroyed with a broken tail boom and buckled/cracked fuselage under pilot seat.
As the FAA filed it
N373DB, A ALISPORT LIGHT SPORT EXPERIMENTAL MOTORIZED GLIDER ON A SINGLE PILOT PLEASURE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED ENGINE FAILURE DURING CLIMBOUT AT APPROXIMATELY 170 FEET AGL. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE PILOT LEVELED OUT AIRCRAFT AND MADE A LEFT TURN TO THE EAST ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER LEFT TURN WAS MADE ENGINE RESTARTED ITSELF ALLOWING AND ADDITIONAL TURN TO THE WEST HEADING BACK TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. PILOT INDICATED IN STATEMENT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO STOW ENGINE AND LOOKED FOR AREA TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING. AIRCRAFT LANDED BENEATH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET SHORT OF HIGHWAY ON A BARBED WIRE CATTLE FENCE, IMPACTING THE TOP OF THE FENCE AND SPINNING APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. PILOT TURNED OFF POWER AND EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT UNASSISTED. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WITH A BROKEN TAIL BOOM AND BUCKLED/CRACKED FUSELAGE UNDER PILOT SEAT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.