Incident Overview
Immediately after takeoff, the engine lost power, and the aircraft was unable to maintain level flight. The pilot executed a landing in sand dunes, during which the aircraft flipped over.
Post-Accident Findings
During a subsequent engine run-up, it was observed that the engine operated normally at low power settings. However, when takeoff power was applied, the engine exhibited an apparent ignition problem, characterized by misfiring and surging.
Inspection Results
An inspection revealed that the right magneto was not developing sufficient voltage output. The recommended service life for the magneto is 900 hours, but the magneto in question appeared to have been in service for 1,897 hours.