Incident
An aircraft nosed over during a forced landing in a plowed field following a power loss. The event occurred after the engine lost power shortly after takeoff.
Previous Incident
Several weeks prior to this accident, the aircraft made a precautionary landing due to a rough running engine. Inspection revealed one gallon of water in the fuel lines. The water was drained, the fuel filters were changed, and the aircraft was flown back to York.
Accident Sequence
On the day of the accident, the pilot checked with the FBO manager to confirm there were no problems and performed a complete pre-flight inspection with attention to the fuel system. Very little water was found in the tank drains or engine sump. The aircraft was then taxied for 20 minutes, and a run-up was performed with no engine roughness.
Takeoff was initiated, and at 450 feet above ground level, the engine stopped. According to the pilot, the engine regained power for approximately 10 seconds. When a turn was made, the engine quit again. The pilot executed a forced landing in a plowed field, and the aircraft nosed over.