Accident Sequence
A student pilot, who had previously held a commercial pilot certificate, took off and maintained a level flight attitude for approximately five seconds before initiating a steep climb. A witness then heard the engine 'cut out' and observed the airplane in a steep left bank, rapidly losing altitude. During the descent, the witness heard several backfires. The airplane leveled its wings but continued descending at a 25-degree angle until it disappeared below a tree line. It subsequently crashed into a shallow river adjacent to a large field.
Post-Crash Examination
After the accident, the empennage was found sticking out of the water at a 40-degree angle, with the right side buckled. A strong odor of automotive gasoline was present, although the airplane did not have a supplemental type certificate (STC) authorizing its use. Examination of the propeller revealed that one blade was embedded in the riverbed, with scratches emanating from the leading edge at varying angles. The other propeller blade exhibited S-bending, severe leading edge pitting, and both chordwise and lengthwise scratching. The engine was examined and no evidence of mechanical malfunction was found.
Pilot Background
The student pilot's commercial pilot certificate had been permanently revoked in 1996 after he was observed flying during a period of suspension. He had accumulated approximately 10 hours of flight time since resuming flying about one week before the accident.