ERA17LA314

The pilot stated that, after takeoff, the engine lost partial power at an altitude about 250 ft above ground level. He attempted to restore power by adjusting the throttle but was unsuccessful. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a log and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination and test run of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to light carburetor icing at cruise or descent power; however, the airplane was operating at takeoff power at the time of the power loss. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

On September 5, 2017, about 1835 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster, N16KR, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Raymond, Mississippi. The sport pilot was not injured. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for local flight that departed a private airport about 1830. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, during the initial climb at an altitude of about 250 ft, the engine lost partial power. He attempted to restore power by adjusting the throttle and was unsuccessful. A few seconds later the engine lost all power. He then performed a successful forced landing to a field. During the landing rollout, the airplane struck a log and flipped over. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the left wing, outboard of the wing strut, and buckling of the fuselage about midway between the rear window and the vertical stabilizer. During the examination, no mechanical discrepancies were noted with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation. In addition, there were no anomalies noted with the fuel in the airplane and there was no debris in the fuel filter. Following the examination, the engine was started and responded to multiple throttle inputs without anomaly. According to the airplane maintenance logbook, the most recent condition inspection was performed August 22, 2017, about 3 flight hours prior to the accident. At that time, the floats were replaced in both carburetors. The last maintenance entry, dated September 1, 2017, read "replaced fuel line at fuel cut off valve." At 1835, the weather reported at John Bell Williams Airport (JVW), Raymond, Mississippi, about 9 miles north of the accident site, included a temperature of 29°C and a dew point 26°C. The calculated relative humidity at this temperature and dewpoint was about 84 percent. Review of the icing probability chart contained within Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were "conducive to light icing at cruise or descent power."