What happened
Approximately one and a half minutes after departing, the aircraft was climbing through an altitude of roughly 1,400 feet above ground level when the engine began to lose power. The engine sputtered and subsequently stopped running entirely. The pilot attempted to switch fuel tanks and restart the engine, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
Unable to glide back to the airport, the pilot elected to land in a nearby field. As the aircraft approached the landing site, the pilot did not notice transmission wires until they were directly in front of the plane. The pilot maneuvered to avoid a direct collision, but a cable became wrapped around the propeller, and the left wing struck a utility pole before the aircraft crash-landed in the field.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the airframe and engine was conducted. Inspectors found no evidence of fuel contamination or pre-impact mechanical failures. Following repairs to minor impact-related damage, the engine was started and operated normally, indicating that the initial power loss was not due to a mechanical defect.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates that the pilot encountered an unexplained loss of engine power during the critical phase of flight. The subsequent inability to restart the engine forced an off-airport landing. During the approach for this forced landing, the pilot failed to maintain adequate visual awareness of the terrain and obstacles, resulting in a collision with transmission infrastructure.