Taylor Monoplane, VH-ULC, Latrobe Valley, Vic, 16 November 1974

VH/ULC had been constructed by the pilot and was classed as an amateur-built aircraft. Being an amateur/built aircraft, a flight test schedule was required to be completed before a Certificate of Airworthiness could be granted.

The pilot flew the aircraft several times and on the day of the accident had completed a flight of approximately two hours duration. After the aircraft was refuelled to capacity the pilot made it known that he intended to carry out a further flight and after starting the engine the aircraft was seen to taxi out and takeoff from runway 03 into a 10 to 15 knot headwind. At a height of about 300 ft after takeoff, the engine noise was heard to stop suddenly and the aircraft was seen to turn towards the right. It then descended rapidly and struck the ground in a near vertical nose down attitude. Subsequent examination of the wreckage failed to reveal any evidence of a pre-existing.defect or a reason for the engine's sudden loss of power.