What happened
Following an uneventful departure from the airport, the aircraft was being turned to enter the traffic pattern when the engine lost power. The pilot attempted a 180-degree left turn to return to the airport; however, during this maneuver, the aircraft overshot the runway.
In an attempt to realign with the runway, the pilot turned the airplane to the right. At approximately 50 feet above the ground, the right wing stalled. The aircraft continued to roll to the right and failed to respond to aileron inputs. The airplane impacted a grass area adjacent to the runway, resulting in a ground loop before coming to rest. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage was conducted. When fuel was drained from the carburetor bowl, the substance was found to be consistent with automotive fuel and was contaminated with water and other foreign object debris. Additionally, a witness reported that the pilot had experienced engine sputtering during the previous day, which had resulted in an uneventful forced landing at the airport.