Flight Events
According to the pilot, after four parachute jumpers exited the airplane, and while maneuvering for landing, the engine lost power. Initial efforts to restore full power were unsuccessful; however, as the pilot continued, the engine regained partial power. The pilot then entered a straight approach for runway 18. While on short final to land on runway 18, the pilot thought he was too high and too fast to land and initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane lost engine power again. The pilot elected to land on another part of the same field. The aircraft touched down approximately 840 feet west of the approach end of runway 36 on a heading of 270 degrees, heading towards a paved road, power lines, and a tree line. After touchdown, the airplane engine began to develop power. The pilot decided to abort the landing to avoid hitting the road and trees. During the aborted landing, the airplane flew under the power lines and crossed the paved road, but the right main gear collided with the ground and the airplane nosed over approximately 220 feet west of Baldwin County Road in a wheat field. The pilot stated that he had "insufficient speed to continue take-off." Prior to the flight, the pilot reported that he refueled the airplane to a total of 25 gallons of fuel.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed the wings were bent at the outboard leading edge, damage to the right spar and main wheel strut, the propeller was bent rearward at both tips with curved signatures, the firewall was bent near the bottom, and the right gear was detached. Examination of the flight control system revealed no mechanical malfunctions. An engine test run was also performed. After removing the main fuel line from the firewall, a piece of foreign material was found. The main fuel line was shaken, and the foreign material escaped out the end of the line, allowing fuel to flow freely. The foreign material was searched for in the belly of the airplane but was not found. The main fuel line was reassembled to the firewall and fuel selector valve, and fuel to the engine was verified. The engine ran normally to 1800 rpm, and a magneto check was performed with a 100 rpm drop noted.