Amateur-built Easy Raider N6862K accident near Rochester, Indiana

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot, who was the builder of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and installed on the airplane. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time, and the accident occurred on the first flight. The pilot was "crow-hopping" the airplane on the runway when he decided to take off. Upon reaching about 500 ft above the ground, the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements and the propeller continued to rotate. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and he landed the airplane in a factory parking lot, where it hit a steel handrail. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any reason for the loss of engine response. A review of the weather conditions revealed that carburetor ice was unlikely at takeoff engine power settings.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN17LA318 for the full record.