What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: shortly after joining the blue 2, near bat caves on the sfar 50-2 blue 2 route at 5,500 ft. MSL, the aircraft started experiencing a severe vibration. Very shortly after the onset of the vibration the aircraft suffered a significant power loss. Pilot increased to full throttle in an effort to maintain altitude. The aircraft was still descending at 300 fpm. Pilot decided the Canyon west airport was not an option and proceeded to land at the nearest and flattest available area on the rim below. As pilot set up for the approach to the plateau the engine shut down completely. Pilot ident. 7700 on the transponder and made blind calls on 121.95 (sector), 122.75 (company) and 121.5 (emergency) and announced his position and that king 18 was going down. Pilot executed a soft field landing on the plateau, trying to keep the nose up on rollout to prevent the aircraft from flipping over. After the aircraft came to a stop, pilot off-loaded passengers and evaluated their condition. Upon determining that everyone appeared to be without injuries he radioed for assistance and requested a helicopter from Arizona rescue. Pilot maintained radio contact with other aircraft in the area on 122.75 and 121.95 until the rescue helicopter arrived. Pilot later found that the cause of the engine failure was that a connecting rod had been thrown through the crank case. The aircraft sustained minimal damage to the main landing gear, lower body antennas, and horizontal tail. No NMAC or pilot deviation report filed. This report and investigation are closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: SHORTLY AFTER JOINING THE BLUE 2, NEAR BAT CAVES ON THE SFAR 50-2 BLUE 2 ROUTE AT 5,500 FT. MSL, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED EXPERIENCING A SEVERE VIBRATION. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE ONSET OF THE VIBRATION THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS. PILOT INCREASED TO FULL THROTTLE IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL DESCENDING AT 300 FPM. PILOT DECIDED THE CANYON WEST AIRPORT WAS NOT AN OPTION AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AND FLATTEST AVAILABLE AREA ON THE RIM BELOW. AS PILOT SET UP FOR THE APPROACH TO THE PLATEAU THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. PILOT IDENT. 7700 ON THE TRANSPONDER AND MADE BLIND CALLS ON 121.95 (SECTOR), 122.75 (COMPANY) AND 121.5 (EMERGENCY) AND ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION AND THAT KING 18 WAS GOING DOWN. PILOT EXECUTED A SOFT FIELD LANDING ON THE PLATEAU, TRYING TO KEEP THE NOSE UP ON ROLLOUT TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM FLIPPING OVER. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, PILOT OFF-LOADED PASSENGERS AND EVALUATED THEIR CONDITION. UPON DETERMINING THAT EVERYONE APPEARED TO BE WITHOUT INJURIES HE RADIOED FOR ASSISTANCE AND REQUESTED A HELICOPTER FROM ARIZONA RESCUE. PILOT MAINTAINED RADIO CONTACT WITH OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA ON 122.75 AND 121.95 UNTIL THE RESCUE HELICOPTER ARRIVED. PILOT LATER FOUND THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS THAT A CONNECTING ROD HAD BEEN THROWN THROUGH THE CRANK CASE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, LOWER BODY ANTENNAS, AND HORIZONTAL TAIL. NO NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION REPORT FILED. THIS REPORT AND INVESTIGATION ARE CLOSED.