Primary finding
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power during the initial climb for undetermined reasons.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot planned to perform takeoff and landing practice in the airport traffic pattern. The pilot performed a run-up check of the engine before departing and completed a successful circuit around the traffic pattern. During the second takeoff, while the airplane was about 300 ft above the ground, the engine rpm reduced from 2,500 to 1,800. The pilot declared an emergency and then landed the airplane in a grassy area between two parallel runways. During the landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The engine and airframe were not examined after the accident; thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 26, 2016, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734UF, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Hollywood, Florida. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight from North Perry Airport (HWO), Hollywood, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, the airplane underwent an annual inspection in January 2016, at Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airplane was not flown until the day before the accident, when the pilot flew it to HWO. On the day of the accident, the pilot decided to do some landing pattern practice and invited three friends along. Because the airplane had not flown much in the previous 6 months, the pilot paid particular attention to the runup checks, with no anomalies noted. The airplane took off from runway 10R, and on final approach the pilot set full flaps, carburetor heat on. The pilot completed a landing without problem, and commenced another takeoff with carburetor heat off, full power, and pitch about 5 degrees. Once a positive rate of climb was attained, the pilot retracted the flaps. About 300 feet in the air, the engine rpm went from 2,500 to about 1,800 rpm. The pilot determined that the engine had failed and declared an emergency. He aimed the airplane for a grassy area between runways 28L and 28R, but when the airplane touched down on a slope just before taxiway B, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, damaging the fuselage and tail. The airframe and engine were not examined in detail following the accident.