Incident Overview
A pilot who also serves as an aircraft mechanic had just completed a 100-hour inspection on his airplane. During the inspection, he inadvertently left the magneto P-leads disconnected. While in cruise flight, the engine lost power, and the pilot performed a successful emergency landing in a field.
Post-Landing Actions
After landing, the pilot reconnected the P-leads and checked the magnetos. He then attempted a takeoff from the field. According to the pilot, acceleration was "normal," but when the airplane lifted off the ground, it "skipped and settled two or three times." The pilot aborted the takeoff, but stated that he did so "too late to keep from plowing through some small trees."
Pilot Assessment
The pilot reported that he misjudged the distance required to take off from the soft field. The aircraft struck small trees during the aborted takeoff.