What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Shortly after takeoff to the south, at about 200 feet AGL, the aircraft's engine failed to little or no power due to a spark plug exiting the aft cylinder of the two cylinder engine. The pilot attempted to land on a gravel road adjacent to the airport, but contacted a fence post with the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated he had significant sun glare on the plexiglass windshield during the landing attempt. The sparkplug's steel threads had pulled the cylinder head's mating aluminum threads. The aircraft sustained damage to the landing gear, fuselage longerons and tail. The aircraft kit manufacturer and owner's association have a notification system for all owner/operators that disseminates technical service information. The failure of plug threads is a well known problem with this model of hirth engine. The plug's thread barrel is narrow and has a short reach which results in less thread contact. The manufacturer no longer offers the hirth engine as part of its kit.
As the FAA filed it
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTH, AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE FAILED TO LITTLE OR NO POWER DUE TO A SPARK PLUG EXITING THE AFT CYLINDER OF THE TWO CYLINDER ENGINE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A GRAVEL ROAD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT, BUT CONTACTED A FENCE POST WITH THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD SIGNIFICANT SUN GLARE ON THE PLEXIGLASS WINDSHIELD DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT. THE SPARKPLUG'S STEEL THREADS HAD PULLED THE CYLINDER HEAD'S MATING ALUMINUM THREADS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, FUSELAGE LONGERONS AND TAIL. THE AIRCRAFT KIT MANUFACTURER AND OWNER'S ASSOCIATION HAVE A NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ALL OWNER/OPERATORS THAT DISSEMINATES TECHNICAL SERVICE INFORMATION. THE FAILURE OF PLUG THREADS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF HIRTH ENGINE. THE PLUG'S THREAD BARREL IS NARROW AND HAS A SHORT REACH WHICH RESULTS IN LESS THREAD CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER NO LONGER OFFERS THE HIRTH ENGINE AS PART OF ITS KIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.