Narrative:

First flight of the day was 30 mins local, one passenger, from XA00 to XA30. All systems normal. Second flight at XB00 with one passenger. Preflight and runup normal. Departed from end of runway 07 with 4100' of runway. At about 150' of altitude well beyond the accelerate-stop distance (about 3000' of runway behind) engine became rough and lost about 200 RPM. Airplane lost ability to climb. Moved to right edge of airport and attempted a left 180 back to runway under partial power. With heading 90 degree to runway in shallow left bank (approximately 20 degree) and a KT or two above stall, the engine lost all power. The nose pitched downward and to keep from stalling the left wing, the nose was forced further down and the wings leveled. The aircraft 'landed' flat at a higher than normal rate of descent in a stalled condition as it hit. Area was adjacent to but off runway on unlevel ground in scrub brush and small pine trees. Aircraft moved forward approximately 200' and rotated up on its nose and remained almost vertical resting on its nose and right top wing. There was no fire or injuries. Both occupants had very snug seat belts and shoulder harnesses. Airplane recovered next day. Damage confined to landing gear, wing tips, and cowling. Propeller stopped prior to nose over and strangely was not damaged. As of date of this report, no determination made as to cause of engine failure. No catastrophic internal was observed or suspected. Fuel starvation was suspected but valves were confirmed to be on during flight. Fuel was added just prior to flight and tanks confirmed practically full after incident. Fuel contamination or carburetor blockage suspected but not yet investigated. Due to the nature and extent of the damage and the absence of fire and injury, this was deemed an incident and not an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF VINTAGE BIPLANE EXPERIENCES PARTIAL THEN FULL ENGINE FAILURE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF RESULTING IN CRASH LNDG WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN BACK TO RWY.

Narrative: FIRST FLT OF THE DAY WAS 30 MINS LOCAL, ONE PAX, FROM XA00 TO XA30. ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL. SECOND FLT AT XB00 WITH ONE PAX. PREFLT AND RUNUP NORMAL. DEPARTED FROM END OF RWY 07 WITH 4100' OF RWY. AT ABOUT 150' OF ALT WELL BEYOND THE ACCELERATE-STOP DISTANCE (ABOUT 3000' OF RWY BEHIND) ENGINE BECAME ROUGH AND LOST ABOUT 200 RPM. AIRPLANE LOST ABILITY TO CLIMB. MOVED TO RIGHT EDGE OF ARPT AND ATTEMPTED A LEFT 180 BACK TO RWY UNDER PARTIAL POWER. WITH HDG 90 DEG TO RWY IN SHALLOW LEFT BANK (APPROX 20 DEG) AND A KT OR TWO ABOVE STALL, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE NOSE PITCHED DOWNWARD AND TO KEEP FROM STALLING THE LEFT WING, THE NOSE WAS FORCED FURTHER DOWN AND THE WINGS LEVELED. THE ACFT 'LANDED' FLAT AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF DSCNT IN A STALLED CONDITION AS IT HIT. AREA WAS ADJACENT TO BUT OFF RWY ON UNLEVEL GND IN SCRUB BRUSH AND SMALL PINE TREES. ACFT MOVED FORWARD APPROX 200' AND ROTATED UP ON ITS NOSE AND REMAINED ALMOST VERTICAL RESTING ON ITS NOSE AND RIGHT TOP WING. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INJURIES. BOTH OCCUPANTS HAD VERY SNUG SEAT BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES. AIRPLANE RECOVERED NEXT DAY. DAMAGE CONFINED TO LNDG GEAR, WING TIPS, AND COWLING. PROPELLER STOPPED PRIOR TO NOSE OVER AND STRANGELY WAS NOT DAMAGED. AS OF DATE OF THIS REPORT, NO DETERMINATION MADE AS TO CAUSE OF ENGINE FAILURE. NO CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL WAS OBSERVED OR SUSPECTED. FUEL STARVATION WAS SUSPECTED BUT VALVES WERE CONFIRMED TO BE ON DURING FLT. FUEL WAS ADDED JUST PRIOR TO FLT AND TANKS CONFIRMED PRACTICALLY FULL AFTER INCIDENT. FUEL CONTAMINATION OR CARBURETOR BLOCKAGE SUSPECTED BUT NOT YET INVESTIGATED. DUE TO THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE ABSENCE OF FIRE AND INJURY, THIS WAS DEEMED AN INCIDENT AND NOT AN ACCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.