Accident Overview
The incident occurred shortly after takeoff. As the aircraft was climbing through 200 feet AGL, the engine quit unexpectedly. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. He selected a gravel pit as the landing site. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a bank within the pit, bringing the aircraft to a stop.
Engine Analysis
After the accident, a detailed examination of the engine was performed. Investigators removed and inspected the cylinders and pistons. The number one cylinder and its piston showed moderate to severe scuffing. Additionally, the piston rings were overlapping in several locations. This overlapping was caused by metal transfer between the rings. The number one piston was identified as a new piston, with "P10" stamped on the inside. This stamp indicates an oversize of 0.010 inches. In contrast, all the other pistons in the engine were standard size.