In a previous article, Mike Granby said:
Another witness mentioned an engine sputter

Whatever the cause of a crash, there's always someone who hears the
engine splutter...

Have you ever noticed how much the engine note changes as a plane taxis
or takes off past you? You get very different engine noises depending on
whether the prop is moving towards you or away from you. It's no wonder
naive observers think the engine was spluttering or dying.


--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
....if Paul's really talking about truly average people, then they'd probably
die in either case, because common sense isn't.
-- Derick Siddoway