Date: 201312
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Cheetah; Tiger; Traveler AA5 Series
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class C ZZZ
Aircraft component: Engine
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Single Pilot; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: After performing the normal pre-flight inspection and after completing an extended warm-up and run-up to let the engine oil temp rise sufficiently; I departed. At about 200 feet AGL with approximately 2/3's of the runway behind me; the engine lost significant power; I estimate at least a power loss of 75%. I immediately pulled carb heat; tried adjusting the mixture control and power control; but no action had any effect of restoring power. I did not have enough altitude to turn 180 degrees back to the runway. However; I had enough altitude and speed that if I just let the aircraft glide; it would impact pine trees beyond an open field just beyond the end of [the] runway. The field between the end of [the runway] and the trees has an upslope so I decided my only option was to fly the airplane into the field and use the long grass and small trees and the upslope of the field to hopefully bring the airplane to a stop prior to hitting the pine trees at the end of the open field. I secured the aircraft with the time allowed for a forced landing; opened the canopy; and tried to deploy flaps but impacted the ground prior to being able to deploy full flaps. I continued to 'fly' the aircraft up the incline doing my best to keep it under control while bleeding off speed. The aircraft came to rest about 200 yards in the field prior to entering the pine trees. The strategy of using the upslope and the grass and small trees to bleed off speed prior to impacting the pine trees worked. Once the aircraft came to a halt; I exited the aircraft. I sustained no injuries. The damage to the aircraft is not fully known at this time but the left wing and the landing gear are damaged.Within the last few months; in two separate instances during climbout; I experienced engine roughness that was eliminated with the application of carb heat. In both of these instances; the air temp was near 40 degrees F with visible moisture in the air. I attributed the engine roughness to carb ice due to the perfect conditions for carb ice and the fact that the application of carb heat resolved the engine roughness. Now; based on this last event; I'm wondering if the events are related; in that; there is a carb or some other malfunction that initially presented itself with the same manifestation as carb ice.




Synopsis: AA5B pilot reported losing power shortly after takeoff and landing straight ahead in a field; resulting in some damage to the aircraft.