What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/10/2018 pilot was taking off from Temple municiple airport runway 33 under VFR conditions for phase 1 operations to accomplish hour limits for the aircraft operating limitations. The takeoff was uneventful and the aircraft began its climbout. At an altitude of 400 feet AGL the engine began to have a vibration and significant power was lost at that moment. Pilot made immediate decision to return back to RUNWAY33 for landing. Pilot considered the possiblity of carb icing and pulled carb heat on. After a few moments pilot did not see change in engine RPM and was quickly losing altitude. Pilot elected to cancel go around and looked for an open field. Pilot selected and open field north and adjacient to the airport. The aircraft stalled at about 10 feet from ground level before landing. Aircraft touched down in a nose low attitude. The ground was soft from a recent rain and the nose gear quickly dug in and collapsed allowing the aircraft to skid about 20 yards before comming to a stop. Aircraft sustained extensive firewall damage and damage to fwd fuselage. There were icing conditions present at the time of the crash the temperature was 70 degrees, the dew point was at 66 percent and the relative humidity was 80 percent. There was no post crash fire, fuel onboard was undetermined due to wing removal from aircraft owner prior to FAA arival to the scene. Pilot sustained minor injury to left knee.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/10/2018 PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM TEMPLE MUNICIPLE AIRPORT RUNWAY 33 UNDER VFR CONDITIONS FOR PHASE 1 OPERATIONS TO ACCOMPLISH HOUR LIMITS FOR THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING LIMITATIONS. THE TAKEOFF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS CLIMBOUT. AT AN ALTITUDE OF 400 FEET AGL THE ENGINE BEGAN TO HAVE A VIBRATION AND SIGNIFICANT POWER WAS LOST AT THAT MOMENT. PILOT MADE IMMEDIATE DECISION TO RETURN BACK TO RUNWAY33 FOR LANDING. PILOT CONSIDERED THE POSSIBLITY OF CARB ICING AND PULLED CARB HEAT ON. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS PILOT DID NOT SEE CHANGE IN ENGINE RPM AND WAS QUICKLY LOSING ALTITUDE. PILOT ELECTED TO CANCEL GO AROUND AND LOOKED FOR AN OPEN FIELD. PILOT SELECTED AND OPEN FIELD NORTH AND ADJACIENT TO THE AIRPORT.THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AT ABOUT 10 FEET FROM GROUND LEVEL BEFORE LANDING. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE GROUND WAS SOFT FROM A RECENT RAIN AND THE NOSE GEAR QUICKLY DUG IN AND COLLAPSED ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID ABOUT 20 YARDS BEFORE COMMING TO A STOP. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE FIREWALL DAMAGE AND DAMAGE TO FWD FUSELAGE. THERE WERE ICING CONDITIONS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH THE TEMPERATURE WAS 70 DEGREES, THE DEW POINT WAS AT 66 PERCENT AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 80 PERCENT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE, FUEL ONBOARD WAS UNDETERMINED DUE TO WING REMOVAL FROM AIRCRAFT OWNER PRIOR TO FAA ARIVAL TO THE SCENE. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY TO LEFT KNEE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.