Cessna 140 N89307 accident near Burlington, Wisconsin

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude at the time of the loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that they departed about 1530 and flew to a second airport. They were conducting takeoffs and full stop landings on runway 01 (2,477 feet by 130 feet, turf) at the that airport at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that on the third takeoff, the engine failed after lift off. The airplane impacted a tree during the forced landing and subsequently came to rest inverted. The pilot informed a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector that the engine began to run rough. He applied carburetor heat and the engine operation smoothed out momentarily, and then quit. The airplane was at an altitude of approximately 250 feet above ground level, in a left turn at the time. A post accident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre impact failure. The airplane had been inverted for several hours after the accident. As a result, the exact amount of fuel on-board at the time of the accident could not be established.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CHI08CA127 for the full record.