What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A private pilot privacy data omitted, with no eis history was taking off out of Fairfield County Airport (lhq), runway 28, IN privacy data omitted an Evektor Sportstar, lite sport aircraft.
During the taxi and run up he indicated that his ?engine was running nominal oil pressure, slightly cold oil temperature, and engine temp was low to normal.?
He indicated that his ground roll was fine but shortly after takeoff, he noticed that the engine was not producing it?s typical power. He indicated that takeoff climb was slow. He arrested his climb to gain airspeed then intending to climb out. The flightaware track indicated that he turned away from the airport. As the engine continued to develop low power he turned back to the airport. Just prior to turning into base leg of the approach for runway 28 the engine sputtered and quit. He set glide speed at 58 KTS and pointed towards the arrival end of runway 28. Then he tried to restart the engine, but it would not turn over. At this point he realized that he would not make the runway so he turned east and made for an open field. The plane descended normally and remained controllable throughout. He was able to perform the emergency landing checklist. The plane landed in an open dirt field. The landing was hard shearing the right main gear and collapsing the nose gear into the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
A PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WITH NO EIS HISTORY WAS TAKING OFF OUT OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY AIRPORT (LHQ), RUNWAY 28, IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AN EVEKTOR SPORTSTAR, LITE SPORT AIRCRAFT.
DURING THE TAXI AND RUN UP HE INDICATED THAT HIS ?ENGINE WAS RUNNING NOMINAL OIL PRESSURE, SLIGHTLY COLD OIL TEMPERATURE, AND ENGINE TEMP WAS LOW TO NORMAL.?
HE INDICATED THAT HIS GROUND ROLL WAS FINE BUT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING IT?S TYPICAL POWER. HE INDICATED THAT TAKEOFF CLIMB WAS SLOW. HE ARRESTED HIS CLIMB TO GAIN AIRSPEED THEN INTENDING TO CLIMB OUT. THE FLIGHTAWARE TRACK INDICATED THAT HE TURNED AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. AS THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP LOW POWER HE TURNED BACK TO THE AIRPORT. JUST PRIOR TO TURNING INTO BASE LEG OF THE APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 28 THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. HE SET GLIDE SPEED AT 58 KTS AND POINTED TOWARDS THE ARRIVAL END OF RUNWAY 28. THEN HE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AT THIS POINT HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY SO HE TURNED EAST AND MADE FOR AN OPEN FIELD. THE PLANE DESCENDED NORMALLY AND REMAINED CONTROLLABLE THROUGHOUT. HE WAS ABLE TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY LANDING CHECKLIST. THE PLANE LANDED IN AN OPEN DIRT FIELD. THE LANDING WAS HARD SHEARING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR INTO THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.