PLT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL; AMATEUR BUILT KITFOX; EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE AT 350 FT AFTER TKOF AND TURNED BACK TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY ON WHICH HE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF.

Narrative

FORCED LNDG KITFOX. AFTER PREFLT CHKS AND NORMAL RUNUP; TKOF WAS MADE FROM RWY 5 AT W32. ALL ENG INDICATIONS NORMAL AT START OF ROLL. EXPERIENCED PWR LOSS ABOUT 350 FT AGL. OPTED TO TURN BACK TO ARPT AS AREA WAS PLOWED FIELDS; TREES; PWR LINES AND GRAVEL PIT. MADE L TURN WITH ENG PUTTING OUT SOME PWR AND HEADED BACK TO RWY ON A HDG OF ABOUT 200 DEGS. REACHED RWY AT ABOUT MID POINT AND TURNED R TO LINE UP. QUARTERING R TAILWIND OF +/-13 KTS COMPLICATED LINE-UP AS ALT AND AIRSPD WERE NOW ABOUT USED UP. CONTACTED RWY ON CTRLINE WITH R WING LOW. STILL HAD SOME L DRIFT AND NOT ENOUGH TIME TO CORRECT BEFORE ACFT CONTACTED RWY. SIDELOADING FROM DRIFT FAILED R MAIN GEAR AND ACFT ROTATED 120 DEGS R WHILE SLIDING AND CAME TO REST STILL ON CTRLINE. NO INJURY TO PLT AND NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. REMOVED ACFT FROM RWY AND SECURED IN HANGAR. CHKED FAR/AIM FOR NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND WHILE STILL NOT SURE IF MANDATED; CALLED NTSB TO RPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE R LNDG GEAR BROKE OFF WHEN TOUCHING DOWN DRIFTING WITH A 13 KTS TAILWIND AND THE PROP BROKE AFTER CONTACTING THE RWY. HE DID RPT THIS INCIDENT TO NTSB AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS INCIDENT WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT AND NOT AN ACCIDENT DUE TO ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. HE HAS STILL NOT LEARNED OF THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE SINCE IT HAS NOT YET BEEN TORN DOWN FOR INSPECTION. HE HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE ENG WITH A NEW MODEL OF THE SAME TYPE (ROTEX 912S) ENG.