M20J pilot declared an emergency and returned to land at ZZZ.

Attributes
ACN	570520
Time
Date	200301
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 750
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 J (201)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	570320
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Went through checklist preflight with no unusual items found. Run-up for magneto check and propeller was as expected. Takeoff from runway 23 and climb out at vy after retracting gear and flaps. The engine sputtered and windmilled at about 700-800 ft AGL. I initiated immediate right turn. Tried to restart engine, but had to focus on making the field. After clearing trees, dropped gear and attempted to land on taxiway D. Left main collapsed. Aircraft skidded across grass and run-up area for runway 5, coming to a stop just short of taxiway a. I believe that the engine stopped getting fuel, but I did not try switching tanks or trying to boost pump. I was too low to gamble that the engine would restart. Subsequently, no water or ice or foreign elements have been found. Also, the engine started and ran fine at full power. If I had to guess, I would say that there might have been some foreign element (ice, dirt, water) that has since been purged by the engine. However, the sump drains were entirely clear. The tower reported hearing a pop and seeing a white puff of smoke coming from my engine just prior to hearing my engine stop. I think that the primary decision making determinant was the proximity to the ground, coupled with inhospitable terrain straight ahead (swamp, buildings, etc). I decided on focusing on flying the plane. By the way, the tower controllers asked that the runway 5/23 be cleared upon my declaration of emergency by canceling a takeoff clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20J PLT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AT ZZZ.

Narrative: WENT THROUGH CHKLIST PREFLT WITH NO UNUSUAL ITEMS FOUND. RUN-UP FOR MAGNETO CHK AND PROP WAS AS EXPECTED. TKOF FROM RWY 23 AND CLB OUT AT VY AFTER RETRACTING GEAR AND FLAPS. THE ENG SPUTTERED AND WINDMILLED AT ABOUT 700-800 FT AGL. I INITIATED IMMEDIATE R TURN. TRIED TO RESTART ENG, BUT HAD TO FOCUS ON MAKING THE FIELD. AFTER CLRING TREES, DROPPED GEAR AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON TXWY D. L MAIN COLLAPSED. ACFT SKIDDED ACROSS GRASS AND RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 5, COMING TO A STOP JUST SHORT OF TXWY A. I BELIEVE THAT THE ENG STOPPED GETTING FUEL, BUT I DID NOT TRY SWITCHING TANKS OR TRYING TO BOOST PUMP. I WAS TOO LOW TO GAMBLE THAT THE ENG WOULD RESTART. SUBSEQUENTLY, NO WATER OR ICE OR FOREIGN ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN FOUND. ALSO, THE ENG STARTED AND RAN FINE AT FULL PWR. IF I HAD TO GUESS, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME FOREIGN ELEMENT (ICE, DIRT, WATER) THAT HAS SINCE BEEN PURGED BY THE ENG. HOWEVER, THE SUMP DRAINS WERE ENTIRELY CLR. THE TWR RPTED HEARING A POP AND SEEING A WHITE PUFF OF SMOKE COMING FROM MY ENG JUST PRIOR TO HEARING MY ENG STOP. I THINK THAT THE PRIMARY DECISION MAKING DETERMINANT WAS THE PROX TO THE GND, COUPLED WITH INHOSPITABLE TERRAIN STRAIGHT AHEAD (SWAMP, BUILDINGS, ETC). I DECIDED ON FOCUSING ON FLYING THE PLANE. BY THE WAY, THE TWR CTLRS ASKED THAT THE RWY 5/23 BE CLRED UPON MY DECLARATION OF EMER BY CANCELING A TKOF CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.