What happened
While performing the initial climb phase of takeoff to tow a glider aloft, the pilot of the aircraft was approximately 50 feet above ground level when he experienced a loss of power. This loss of power was accompanied by black smoke trailing from the engine.
In response to the emergency, the pilot released the glider. However, due to the low altitude and insufficient aircraft energy, a return-to-runway maneuver could not be completed. The pilot subsequently performed an emergency landing on soft desert soil. During the rollout of the landing, the landing gear collapsed and the left wing sustained damage. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
A preliminary examination of the engine revealed heavy sooting on all spark plugs, though no external evidence of a catastrophic failure was observed. The pilot suggested that an internal malfunction within the carburetor may have caused the power loss. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined both the engine and the carburetor; however, the inspector reported that the carburetor was too badly damaged to determine if any specific discrepancies were present.