The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1700 Central time during a forced landing shortly after takeoff. The flight instructor was not injured; the student pilot sustained minor injury. Visual conditions prevailed.
The flight instructor reported that they departed the airfield with three gallons of gas in the airplane. Shortly after takeoff, he noticed the engine was losing rpm, so he elected to conduct a 180-degree turn back to the runway. During the forced landing, the left wing clipped the ground and the airplane impacted terrain. Examination revealed the airplane’s wings and fuselage were bent and the main landing gear had flattened out. The gascolator and carburetor were broken, and no fuel was found in the airplane tank.
