What happened
On 23 September 2011, a Great Lakes Sports Trainer, registration G-GLST, was performing a private flight near White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. While the aircraft was climbing through approximately 900 ft after takeoff, the engine lost power and the RPM decreased to an idling speed.
The pilot, who held a private pilot's licence, verified that all engine controls were correctly positioned and subsequently declared a MAYDAY. Due to the loss of power, the pilot performed a forced landing. During the landing roll, the aircraft struck a patch of bushes, which resulted in substantial damage to the propeller, lower wings, elevator, and rudder. The pilot escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the engine performance during the climb and the configuration of the engine controls at the time of the power loss. The aircraft was subsequently recovered to White Waltham Airfield to await further technical inspection regarding the loss of power.