What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot performed normal preflight and run-up. Did not notice any irregularities. Shortly after take off at about 300 feet AGL the engine lost power. The engine would idle but there was no power to sustain flight. Pilot immediately executed a turn back to the airport. When it was apparent he would not make it he landed in a field. The touch down was normal but as the aircraft lost ground speed the landing gear sank into the soft field and the aircraft flipped onto it's back. A post accident inspection by two FSDO airworthiness inspectors failed to determine any mechanical defect. An engine tear-down was not performed due to the nature of the Rotax engine and the asi's unfamiliarity with that engine. A Rotax representative was invited to attend but they were unable. The pilot had recently installed an after market mixture leaning device and it is suspected that this device contributed to the power loss.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT PERFORMED NORMAL PREFLIGHT AND RUN-UP. DID NOT NOTICE ANY IRREGULARITIES. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF AT ABOUT 300 FEET AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD IDLE BUT THERE WAS NO POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. PILOT IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. WHEN IT WAS APPARENT HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT HE LANDED IN A FIELD. THE TOUCH DOWN WAS NORMAL BUT AS THE AIRCRAFT LOST GROUND SPEED THE LANDING GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ONTO IT'S BACK. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION BY TWO FSDO AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS FAILED TO DETERMINE ANY MECHANICAL DEFECT. AN ENGINE TEAR-DOWN WAS NOT PERFORMED DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ROTAX ENGINE AND THE ASI'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH THAT ENGINE. A ROTAX REPRESENTATIVE WAS INVITED TO ATTEND BUT THEY WERE UNABLE. THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY INSTALLED AN AFTER MARKET MIXTURE LEANING DEVICE AND IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THIS DEVICE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POWER LOSS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.