What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
From PIC:
Wx: clear below 12,000?, winds 160/07 (earlier AWOS had gusts up to 14 but not reported prior to takeoff).
Wx briefing: n/a
Takeoff runway: 18
Flight plan: none filed ? Xbp to xbp - local VFR introductory flight for a high school student desiring to become and airline pilot.
Traffic: no other aircraft in the vicinity ? Still made appropriate non-controlled airport communication.
Passengers onboard: privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted
During the takeoff roll, the rpms were approximately 2350, consistent with every other takeoff, and all engine indications were in the green.
Approximately 100-200? AGL, I felt the engine seem to lose power (thrust), however there was no vibration or abnormal noise or indications. The boys said that I said, ?this doesn?t feel right!? I immediately told privacy data omitted to let go of the controls and I knew we would not clear the bluff south of the runway and started a shallow left turn to attempt to turn back toward the airfield. However, there was so little thrust, any steep turns would cause an unacceptable loss of lift/altitude. In a shallow left turn, I began troubleshooting. First instinct was fuel ? I double checked fuel pump on and it was on; then I swapped fuel tanks to see if it was a tank issue. No change in engine performance. Concurrently, I was scanning for safe place to land and witnessed a farmer?s field to the south east. In the meantime, I continued to verify that the fuel pump, magnetos, carb heat, mixture, etc. Were appropriately configured and nothing was abnormal. I even checked all circuit breakers (I obviously could not check fuses). About this time, I had committed to putting it down off-airport and continued to eye the farmers field, however, as I looked closer, there was a series of power lines running north south that I was certain I would not clear given that I was very close to stall (stall warning light was starting to illuminate on and off at this point with full throttle). I considered changing flap configuration to gain more lift, but instinctively felt that the drag would certainly be detrimental. I made a last ditch left turn to avoid the power lines which committed me to a field of medium-maturity mesquite trees. I told the two passengers, ?boys, we are goin? Down!? I had full throttle at the time. I instantly witnessed a ?mesquite more sparse? Area in close, so I pulled the power to idle and the engine did respond accordingly. I told the boys to ?brace for impact? And we touched down with full aerodynamic control. The touchdown and ?roll-out? (Lol) was surprisingly non-violent, despite the damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
FROM PIC:
WX: CLEAR BELOW 12,000?, WINDS 160/07 (EARLIER AWOS HAD GUSTS UP TO 14 BUT NOT REPORTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF).
WX BRIEFING: N/A
TAKEOFF RUNWAY: 18
FLIGHT PLAN: NONE FILED ? XBP TO XBP - LOCAL VFR INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT FOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DESIRING TO BECOME AND AIRLINE PILOT.
TRAFFIC: NO OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY ? STILL MADE APPROPRIATE NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT COMMUNICATION.
PASSENGERS ONBOARD: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE RPMS WERE APPROXIMATELY 2350, CONSISTENT WITH EVERY OTHER TAKEOFF, AND ALL ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE IN THE GREEN.
APPROXIMATELY 100-200? AGL, I FELT THE ENGINE SEEM TO LOSE POWER (THRUST), HOWEVER THERE WAS NO VIBRATION OR ABNORMAL NOISE OR INDICATIONS. THE BOYS SAID THAT I SAID, ?THIS DOESN?T FEEL RIGHT!? I IMMEDIATELY TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO LET GO OF THE CONTROLS AND I KNEW WE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE BLUFF SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY AND STARTED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN TO ATTEMPT TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRFIELD. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SO LITTLE THRUST, ANY STEEP TURNS WOULD CAUSE AN UNACCEPTABLE LOSS OF LIFT/ALTITUDE. IN A SHALLOW LEFT TURN, I BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING. FIRST INSTINCT WAS FUEL ? I DOUBLE CHECKED FUEL PUMP ON AND IT WAS ON; THEN I SWAPPED FUEL TANKS TO SEE IF IT WAS A TANK ISSUE. NO CHANGE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. CONCURRENTLY, I WAS SCANNING FOR SAFE PLACE TO LAND AND WITNESSED A FARMER?S FIELD TO THE SOUTH EAST. IN THE MEANTIME, I CONTINUED TO VERIFY THAT THE FUEL PUMP, MAGNETOS, CARB HEAT, MIXTURE, ETC. WERE APPROPRIATELY CONFIGURED AND NOTHING WAS ABNORMAL. I EVEN CHECKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS (I OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT CHECK FUSES). ABOUT THIS TIME, I HAD COMMITTED TO PUTTING IT DOWN OFF-AIRPORT AND CONTINUED TO EYE THE FARMERS FIELD, HOWEVER, AS I LOOKED CLOSER, THERE WAS A SERIES OF POWER LINES RUNNING NORTH SOUTH THAT I WAS CERTAIN I WOULD NOT CLEAR GIVEN THAT I WAS VERY CLOSE TO STALL (STALL WARNING LIGHT WAS STARTING TO ILLUMINATE ON AND OFF AT THIS POINT WITH FULL THROTTLE). I CONSIDERED CHANGING FLAP CONFIGURATION TO GAIN MORE LIFT, BUT INSTINCTIVELY FELT THAT THE DRAG WOULD CERTAINLY BE DETRIMENTAL. I MADE A LAST DITCH LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE POWER LINES WHICH COMMITTED ME TO A FIELD OF MEDIUM-MATURITY MESQUITE TREES. I TOLD THE TWO PASSENGERS, ?BOYS, WE ARE GOIN? DOWN!? I HAD FULL THROTTLE AT THE TIME. I INSTANTLY WITNESSED A ?MESQUITE MORE SPARSE? AREA IN CLOSE, SO I PULLED THE POWER TO IDLE AND THE ENGINE DID RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. I TOLD THE BOYS TO ?BRACE FOR IMPACT? AND WE TOUCHED DOWN WITH FULL AERODYNAMIC CONTROL. THE TOUCHDOWN AND ?ROLL-OUT? (LOL) WAS SURPRISINGLY NON-VIOLENT, DESPITE THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.