Incident Summary
A certified flight instructor and a student pilot experienced a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff, resulting in a hard landing. The accident occurred when the airplane was on a training flight from an airport. The instructor decided to attempt a return to the runway after the engine failed completely. The airplane touched down while still in a turn, causing the left main landing gear to shear off. The airplane slid to a stop in gravel on the south side of the runway.
Flight Details
Before departure, the flight instructor added 10 gallons of fuel to the airplane. The instructor and student then taxied to the hold short line and completed an uneventful run-up for runway 26. The airplane rotated at 60 miles per hour (mph) indicated airspeed (IAS), and the instructor instructed the student to pitch for the best rate of climb speed. At approximately 500 feet above ground level (agl), as the student was turning crosswind, the engine "coughed." The flight instructor told the student to apply full throttle and mixture; the tachometer then read 2,100 rpm. The engine coughed again, and the rpm decreased to 1,500 rpm. Subsequently, the engine completely lost power. The flight instructor decided to try to return to the runway. The airplane was in a right turn at 500 feet agl. As the airplane approached runway 8, the airspeed was 61 mph IAS. The airplane touched down on the runway, still in the turn, resulting in the left main landing gear shearing off.
Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the engine revealed that the mixture control arm could not reach the "FULL RICH" position. This anomaly could not be explained by impact damage. Considering the elevation of the airport and the likely 7,600-foot density altitude, investigators were uncertain about the relationship between the mixture control travel limit and the loss of engine power. No other discrepancies were noted with the engine.