What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC was conducting a fast taxi test on the aircraft at cushing field, IL (0C8)and did not intend to fly at the time. During the test, the tail of the aircraft became airborne and the PIC elected to continue the takeoff rather than attempt to stop. On departure climb at 500' AGL, the PIC stated the engine quit. The PIC attempted a restart without success. The PIC then elected to accomplish an emergency landing in a soybean field. During the landing, the aircraft became tangled in the vegetation and flipped tail over nose , coming to rest upside down on the upper wing surface.
Onsite inspection (N490DJ) ? Airworthiness certificate found in aircraft, experimental operating amateur-built aircraft builderprivacy data omittedserial no. 0028. Aircraft data tag located inside crew area model: murphy renegade 11 with Rotax 600. No registration document could be located. External fuselage inspection showed minimal damage except for the l/h landing gear wheel was broken away from the aircraft. Continuity check was performed for all flight and engine controls, no discrepancies were noted. NTSB removed spark plugs for inspection. Aft plug showed evidence of damage. Exhaust system was then unbolted from the engine for further piston inspection. Both fwd and aft pistons side walls could be seen with damage noted to the aft piston?s side wall/rings and upper service. Cylinders were removed for further inspection and more damage was noted to the entire combustion surface of the aft piston. With cylinders removed it was noted that the lower crossbar of the engine mount had broken at the place of a previous weld.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC WAS CONDUCTING A FAST TAXI TEST ON THE AIRCRAFT AT CUSHING FIELD, IL (0C8)AND DID NOT INTEND TO FLY AT THE TIME. DURING THE TEST, THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE PIC ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF RATHER THAN ATTEMPT TO STOP. ON DEPARTURE CLIMB AT 500' AGL, THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PIC ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PIC THEN ELECTED TO ACCOMPLISH AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME TANGLED IN THE VEGETATION AND FLIPPED TAIL OVER NOSE , COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN ON THE UPPER WING SURFACE.
ONSITE INSPECTION (N490DJ) ? AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE FOUND IN AIRCRAFT, EXPERIMENTAL OPERATING AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT BUILDER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^SERIAL NO. 0028. AIRCRAFT DATA TAG LOCATED INSIDE CREW AREA MODEL: MURPHY RENEGADE 11 WITH ROTAX 600. NO REGISTRATION DOCUMENT COULD BE LOCATED. EXTERNAL FUSELAGE INSPECTION SHOWED MINIMAL DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR THE L/H LANDING GEAR WHEEL WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED FOR ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS, NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. NTSB REMOVED SPARK PLUGS FOR INSPECTION. AFT PLUG SHOWED EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE. EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS THEN UNBOLTED FROM THE ENGINE FOR FURTHER PISTON INSPECTION. BOTH FWD AND AFT PISTONS SIDE WALLS COULD BE SEEN WITH DAMAGE NOTED TO THE AFT PISTON?S SIDE WALL/RINGS AND UPPER SERVICE. CYLINDERS WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND MORE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE ENTIRE COMBUSTION SURFACE OF THE AFT PISTON. WITH CYLINDERS REMOVED IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LOWER CROSSBAR OF THE ENGINE MOUNT HAD BROKEN AT THE PLACE OF A PREVIOUS WELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.