What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC stated after fueling and preflighting the rans S-12, tail# N154BH, he and his passenger taxied to 14 at jso and warmed the engine up, made a mag run up and then took off. They stayed in the pattern and landed on 14, came to full stop and then taxied back to 14. They took off again and stayed in the pattern, on the base leg the engine suddenly stopped (no windmill, no sputter). The runway was too FAR to make it, so the pilot made a 180 turn and attempted an off airport emergency landing into the only area available, a pipeline clearing through the wooded area. The aircraft left wing tip contacted a pine sapling within ten feet of the ground and the aircraft impacted terrain. The aircraft came to rest inverted with substantial damage to nose area. The two occupants were seriously injured, and transported to an area hospital by EMS helicopter.
On scene investigation found the two blade propeller showed no scars or deformation, indicating the engine was not turning. One blade was completely intact. The other blade fractured one-fourth the way from the hub.
Clean fuel was present in the carburetor bowls and gascolator fuel sump bowl.
The engine propeller was able to be rotated, establishing continuity and compression. One spark plug from each cylinder was removed and visually examined with no anomalies noted.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC STATED AFTER FUELING AND PREFLIGHTING THE RANS S-12, TAIL# N154BH, HE AND HIS PASSENGER TAXIED TO 14 AT JSO AND WARMED THE ENGINE UP, MADE A MAG RUN UP AND THEN TOOK OFF. THEY STAYED IN THE PATTERN AND LANDED ON 14, CAME TO FULL STOP AND THEN TAXIED BACK TO 14. THEY TOOK OFF AGAIN AND STAYED IN THE PATTERN, ON THE BASE LEG THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED (NO WINDMILL, NO SPUTTER). THE RUNWAY WAS TOO FAR TO MAKE IT, SO THE PILOT MADE A 180 TURN AND ATTEMPTED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING INTO THE ONLY AREA AVAILABLE, A PIPELINE CLEARING THROUGH THE WOODED AREA. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED A PINE SAPLING WITHIN TEN FEET OF THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO NOSE AREA. THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND TRANSPORTED TO AN AREA HOSPITAL BY EMS HELICOPTER.
ON SCENE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE TWO BLADE PROPELLER SHOWED NO SCARS OR DEFORMATION, INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS NOT TURNING. ONE BLADE WAS COMPLETELY INTACT. THE OTHER BLADE FRACTURED ONE-FOURTH THE WAY FROM THE HUB.
CLEAN FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE CARBURETOR BOWLS AND GASCOLATOR FUEL SUMP BOWL.
THE ENGINE PROPELLER WAS ABLE TO BE ROTATED, ESTABLISHING CONTINUITY AND COMPRESSION. ONE SPARK PLUG FROM EACH CYLINDER WAS REMOVED AND VISUALLY EXAMINED WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.