What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 1st, 2025, during a training flight, a student pilot and the CFI landed at kgle airport to refuel before the return trip to kdto. The flight from kdto to kgle was normal. After refueling and going through the checklist, the pilot taxied to runway 36 and completed the runup checklist, including a left and right magneto check, carb heat test, and oil temperature and pressure check. All checks were normal. Departed runway 36 at 8:00AM and at approximately 30 seconds after takeoff and at 250-300 feet AGL, the engine experienced a sudden loss of power. The pilot verified that the student had her hand on the throttle and that it was full forward and checked the RPM gauge which read approximately 2000 RPM.
The pilot then immediately called for and took control of the airplane. The pilot said he briefly considered returning to the runway, but determined it was not feasible due to the altitude and amount of runway remaining.
The pilot maintained aircraft control and began scanning for open fields to make a landing. He was able to hold the altitude for a short period of time, but eventually started to descend. During this process, the student attempted an engine restart with the magnetos. The pilot then made a mayday call on kgle’s CTAF stating that they had lost engine power and were going to land in a farmers field north of the airport. The student then turned the fuel selector to off position while the pilot pulled the mixture to idle cutoff. The pilot flew the airplane to the selected landing spot and as they crossed the tree line at the beginning of the field, the pilot checked the airspeed at 57 knots and deployed flaps to assist in the descent. The pilot rounded out into ground effect and was satisfied with the height above ground and the remaining length of the field. The pilot held the airplane off until the main wheels touched down. Shortly after touching down at approximately 8:02AM, the nose wheel lowered and contacted the soft terrain and dug into the mud, causing the aircraft to nose over and flip inverted. When the aircraft came to a stop, the crew confirmed they were uninjured and safe. They then unbuckled the seat belts and harnesses and exited the airplane. Once away from the aircraft, the pilot called for assistance and was helped by the sherrifs department.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 1ST, 2025, DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT, A STUDENT PILOT AND THE CFI LANDED AT KGLE AIRPORT TO REFUEL BEFORE THE RETURN TRIP TO KDTO. THE FLIGHT FROM KDTO TO KGLE WAS NORMAL. AFTER REFUELING AND GOING THROUGH THE CHECKLIST, THE PILOT TAXIED TO RUNWAY 36 AND COMPLETED THE RUNUP CHECKLIST, INCLUDING A LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETO CHECK, CARB HEAT TEST, AND OIL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CHECK. ALL CHECKS WERE NORMAL. DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 AT 8:00AM AND AT APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF AND AT 250-300 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT VERIFIED THAT THE STUDENT HAD HER HAND ON THE THROTTLE AND THAT IT WAS FULL FORWARD AND CHECKED THE RPM GAUGE WHICH READ APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM.
THE PILOT THEN IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID HE BRIEFLY CONSIDERED RETURNING TO THE RUNWAY, BUT DETERMINED IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE DUE TO THE ALTITUDE AND AMOUNT OF RUNWAY REMAINING.
THE PILOT MAINTAINED AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND BEGAN SCANNING FOR OPEN FIELDS TO MAKE A LANDING. HE WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE ALTITUDE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT EVENTUALLY STARTED TO DESCEND. DURING THIS PROCESS, THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED AN ENGINE RESTART WITH THE MAGNETOS. THE PILOT THEN MADE A MAYDAY CALL ON KGLE’S CTAF STATING THAT THEY HAD LOST ENGINE POWER AND WERE GOING TO LAND IN A FARMERS FIELD NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE STUDENT THEN TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF POSITION WHILE THE PILOT PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE SELECTED LANDING SPOT AND AS THEY CROSSED THE TREE LINE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIELD, THE PILOT CHECKED THE AIRSPEED AT 57 KNOTS AND DEPLOYED FLAPS TO ASSIST IN THE DESCENT. THE PILOT ROUNDED OUT INTO GROUND EFFECT AND WAS SATISFIED WITH THE HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND AND THE REMAINING LENGTH OF THE FIELD. THE PILOT HELD THE AIRPLANE OFF UNTIL THE MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:02AM, THE NOSE WHEEL LOWERED AND CONTACTED THE SOFT TERRAIN AND DUG INTO THE MUD, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER AND FLIP INVERTED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE CREW CONFIRMED THEY WERE UNINJURED AND SAFE. THEY THEN UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELTS AND HARNESSES AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. ONCE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAS HELPED BY THE SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.