Piper J3 pilot had a forced landing from 40-50 ft AGL after the engine quit on a touch and go.

Attributes
ACN	579662
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 40 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	J3 Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : touch and go
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 151.6
ASRS Report	579662
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

2000 ft grass runway/private airpark. I had taken off approximately 20-25 mins prior to the incident, cruising around the area and enjoying the view. Returned and set up for visual, runway 32, touch and go. Added power after landing, got the usual momentary cough from the continental 65, which then accelerated normally. Rotated approximately 45 mph and began climb out. 40-50 ft AGL and about 3/4 or more down the runway, the engine abruptly quit. Continuing straight ahead wasn't an option as there is a sharp drop-off at the runway end, followed closely by a fence with brush and trees behind it. I banked right and angled towards the side yard of a neighbor's house. Right wing caught some tree branches as I came down, and also hit parts of a plastic fence. Aircraft skidded to a halt prior to 2 more large trees (fortunately). Right wing leading edge damage and some fabric tears on right wing and aircraft belly (from the fence). No injuries or other damage except for the fence. Neighbors assisted in towing aircraft to my hangar. I ran the engine today. It started on the first pull and ran smoothly through entire RPM range. Temperature was about 80 degrees at time of the incident. Dew point reported as 56 degrees in the area. I didn't think carburetor ice was a factor as I was flying, and didn't use carburetor heat. However, carburetor ice seems to be the only explanation, so I'll be using carburetor heat more often in the future, even if I think it's not really needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER J3 PLT HAD A FORCED LNDG FROM 40-50 FT AGL AFTER THE ENG QUIT ON A TOUCH AND GO.

Narrative: 2000 FT GRASS RWY/PVT AIRPARK. I HAD TAKEN OFF APPROX 20-25 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, CRUISING AROUND THE AREA AND ENJOYING THE VIEW. RETURNED AND SET UP FOR VISUAL, RWY 32, TOUCH AND GO. ADDED PWR AFTER LNDG, GOT THE USUAL MOMENTARY COUGH FROM THE CONTINENTAL 65, WHICH THEN ACCELERATED NORMALLY. ROTATED APPROX 45 MPH AND BEGAN CLBOUT. 40-50 FT AGL AND ABOUT 3/4 OR MORE DOWN THE RWY, THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT. CONTINUING STRAIGHT AHEAD WASN'T AN OPTION AS THERE IS A SHARP DROP-OFF AT THE RWY END, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY A FENCE WITH BRUSH AND TREES BEHIND IT. I BANKED R AND ANGLED TOWARDS THE SIDE YARD OF A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. R WING CAUGHT SOME TREE BRANCHES AS I CAME DOWN, AND ALSO HIT PARTS OF A PLASTIC FENCE. ACFT SKIDDED TO A HALT PRIOR TO 2 MORE LARGE TREES (FORTUNATELY). R WING LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AND SOME FABRIC TEARS ON R WING AND ACFT BELLY (FROM THE FENCE). NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR THE FENCE. NEIGHBORS ASSISTED IN TOWING ACFT TO MY HANGAR. I RAN THE ENG TODAY. IT STARTED ON THE FIRST PULL AND RAN SMOOTHLY THROUGH ENTIRE RPM RANGE. TEMP WAS ABOUT 80 DEGS AT TIME OF THE INCIDENT. DEW POINT RPTED AS 56 DEGS IN THE AREA. I DIDN'T THINK CARB ICE WAS A FACTOR AS I WAS FLYING, AND DIDN'T USE CARB HEAT. HOWEVER, CARB ICE SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY EXPLANATION, SO I'LL BE USING CARB HEAT MORE OFTEN IN THE FUTURE, EVEN IF I THINK IT'S NOT REALLY NEEDED.

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.