What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported that on the afternoon of April 2, 2016 shortly after takeoff on rwy 33 from (kmob) mobile in route to (kasd) slidell about 10 minutes into the flight at 10 NM due west of kmob at 1200 ? 1300 feet MSL he slowly began to pull the mixture control out when the engine loss RPM. He reported that he immediately pushed the mixture control back in to attempted to resume normal operation but the engine RPM continued to decrease. He stated that he then pushed in the throttle for more power with no results. Then pulled out throttle slowly and the engine sputtered as if it was trying to continue but the RPM were still fluctuating between 1200-1900 RPM. That's when he contacted kmob departure that he was going to have to put the aircraft down in a field.
After touched down in the field he noticed a ditch and pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to clear the ditch but the nose gear clipped the opposite side of the ditch causing the nose gear to separate from the aircraft. No property on the ground was damage. The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft with sustained no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED THAT ON THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 2, 2016 SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON RWY 33 FROM (KMOB) MOBILE IN ROUTE TO (KASD) SLIDELL ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT AT 10 NM DUE WEST OF KMOB AT 1200 ? 1300 FEET MSL HE SLOWLY BEGAN TO PULL THE MIXTURE CONTROL OUT WHEN THE ENGINE LOSS RPM. HE REPORTED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE MIXTURE CONTROL BACK IN TO ATTEMPTED TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION BUT THE ENGINE RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE. HE STATED THAT HE THEN PUSHED IN THE THROTTLE FOR MORE POWER WITH NO RESULTS. THEN PULLED OUT THROTTLE SLOWLY AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AS IF IT WAS TRYING TO CONTINUE BUT THE RPM WERE STILL FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 1200-1900 RPM. THAT'S WHEN HE CONTACTED KMOB DEPARTURE THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A FIELD.
AFTER TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD HE NOTICED A DITCH AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE DITCH BUT THE NOSE GEAR CLIPPED THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DITCH CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND WAS DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT WITH SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.