Incident Overview
During the initial climb after takeoff, the engine experienced a loss of power. The aircraft subsequently executed an emergency landing in a rough field located northwest of the airport, sustaining damage during the landing.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident engine run-up was conducted with a club propeller installed. The engine operated normally up to 1,500 RPM, and no discrepancies were noted during this test.
A visual inspection of the fuel lines, however, revealed the presence of a small, flat piece of rubber within the fuel distributor. The appearance of the rubber fragment suggested that it had been introduced when a metal connector was inserted into a hose during maintenance. The flight in which the power loss occurred was the second flight following fuel line maintenance.