Incident Overview
During the initial climb after takeoff, at an altitude estimated between 30 and 50 feet above the runway, the engine ceased producing power. The airplane pitched nose-down abruptly and contacted the runway heavily on the nose wheel. It then bounced and struck the nose wheel a second time, causing the nose landing gear to collapse. The impact inflicted substantial damage to the firewall and the airframe.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane's engine. The inspection revealed that both magnetos were improperly grounded during installation. The wiring configuration as found led to degraded ignition performance. Over time, this condition progressed to a complete ignition failure, resulting in a total loss of engine power.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that the loss of engine power was directly attributable to the incorrect grounding of both magnetos at installation.