Accident Overview
The accident occurred during takeoff from Delavan-Lake Lawn Airport when the left engine lost power. The pilot elected to perform an emergency landing. However, people on the ground forced the pilot to abort the emergency landing procedure. The pilot then attempted to land further but the aircraft lost altitude and crashed in flames in a field. The aircraft was destroyed, and all three occupants sustained injuries. The pilot was seriously injured.
Sequence of Events
While departing from Delavan-Lake Lawn Airport, the left engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot decided to execute an emergency landing. Due to the presence of people on the ground, the pilot was compelled to discontinue the emergency landing maneuver. Subsequently, the pilot tried to land at a more distant location. During this attempted landing, the aircraft lost height and impacted the ground in a field, resulting in a fire. The impact destroyed the aircraft.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause as "Powerplant failure for undetermined reasons." Contributing factors included an evasive maneuver to avoid collision with persons on the ground and partial loss of power on one engine.