What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot claimed to have completed a satisfactory runup prior to departing Lebanon municipal airport (M54). He stated that once his aircraft reached approximately 1,200 feet MSL during the climbout, the engine began to sputter. He conducted the emergency checklist for his situation, verifying that the fuel primer, power setting, fuel mixture setting, and magnetos were all okay. He determined that the engine was not producing enough power to continue climbing so he committed to landing in a field just slightly to the west of his climbout heading and less than 1 NM from the end of the runway he had just departed from. He successfully landed without causing injury to himself, the sole occupant of the aircraft, and with only very minor damage to the aircraft. The FAA inspectors who investigated this incident found that the air inlet hose that connects the air filter to the carburetor heat box had collapsed, restricting airflow to the engine, and causing the power loss the pilot had previously experienced. All appropriate aircraft inspections had been performed on the aircraft and properly documented prior to the incident. The pilot was properly certificated and current at the time of the incident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT CLAIMED TO HAVE COMPLETED A SATISFACTORY RUNUP PRIOR TO DEPARTING LEBANON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (M54). HE STATED THAT ONCE HIS AIRCRAFT REACHED APPROXIMATELY 1,200 FEET MSL DURING THE CLIMBOUT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. HE CONDUCTED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FOR HIS SITUATION, VERIFYING THAT THE FUEL PRIMER, POWER SETTING, FUEL MIXTURE SETTING, AND MAGNETOS WERE ALL OKAY. HE DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH POWER TO CONTINUE CLIMBING SO HE COMMITTED TO LANDING IN A FIELD JUST SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST OF HIS CLIMBOUT HEADING AND LESS THAN 1 NM FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY HE HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM. HE SUCCESSFULLY LANDED WITHOUT CAUSING INJURY TO HIMSELF, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND WITH ONLY VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE FAA INSPECTORS WHO INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT FOUND THAT THE AIR INLET HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE AIR FILTER TO THE CARBURETOR HEAT BOX HAD COLLAPSED, RESTRICTING AIRFLOW TO THE ENGINE, AND CAUSING THE POWER LOSS THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED. ALL APPROPRIATE AIRCRAFT INSPECTIONS HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT AND PROPERLY DOCUMENTED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS PROPERLY CERTIFICATED AND CURRENT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.