The pilot reported that the Revmaster 2100DQ engine, a Volkswagen automobile engine modified for aircraft use, had just undergone maintenance work for a sticking valve and this was the first flight for the homebuilt aircraft following that maintenance. He took off in light drizzle, flew one circuit in the pattern and was climbing out for a second approach when he encountered heavy rain. The aircraft's engine began to run rough and the pilot applied carburetor heat but the partial power loss continued. He then received clearance to land and executed a rapid descent to a hard landing coming to rest near the midpoint of the 4,049 foot long asphalt runway. The temperature/dew point at the time of the accident at the site was 8/6 degrees Celsius respectively, and serious carburetor icing conditions existed.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

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