What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on final. Crash landed. (.4)the instructor pilot (CFI) said that they were 4 miles from the airport, and in radio contact with the control tower, when the airplane's engine began to run rough and the RPM dropped from 2500 to 2200 RPM. The CFI notified the control tower and requested a closer runway. The CFI trouble shot the problem, but said '. . . Nothing worked, and the RPM dropped to 2000. . . . Oil began to cover the windscreen and [oil] pressure dropped to zero. [The] RPM was decreasing and I believed seizure was eminent.' The CFI 'pulled the mixture to lean' and attempted to glide to the runway, but noted that he was low in altitude. 'I sidestepped to aim for the grass and avoid [the runway] lighting and the localizer. I couldn't make the grass, so I landed in the corn.' Examination of the engine revealed that all eight valve lifters were broken. Examination of the lifters and lifter pieces showed brittle fractures due to overload. Some areas on the lifter faces showed evidence of heavy loading from the camshaft. (-23) engine failed while on final approach. Instructor landed aircraft in corn field approximately one fourth mile short of runway. A crack in the engine block was found during the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON FINAL. CRASH LANDED. (.4)THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) SAID THAT THEY WERE 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AND IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL TOWER, WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THE RPM DROPPED FROM 2500 TO 2200 RPM. THE CFI NOTIFIED THE CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED A CLOSER RUNWAY. THE CFI TROUBLE SHOT THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID '. . . NOTHING WORKED, AND THE RPM DROPPED TO 2000. . . . OIL BEGAN TO COVER THE WINDSCREEN AND [OIL] PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. [THE] RPM WAS DECREASING AND I BELIEVED SEIZURE WAS EMINENT.' THE CFI 'PULLED THE MIXTURE TO LEAN' AND ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY, BUT NOTED THAT HE WAS LOW IN ALTITUDE. 'I SIDESTEPPED TO AIM FOR THE GRASS AND AVOID [THE RUNWAY] LIGHTING AND THE LOCALIZER. I COULDN'T MAKE THE GRASS, SO I LANDED IN THE CORN.' EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALL EIGHT VALVE LIFTERS WERE BROKEN. EXAMINATION OF THE LIFTERS AND LIFTER PIECES SHOWED BRITTLE FRACTURES DUE TO OVERLOAD. SOME AREAS ON THE LIFTER FACES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HEAVY LOADING FROM THE CAMSHAFT. (-23) ENGINE FAILED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. INSTRUCTOR LANDED AIRCRAFT IN CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY ONE FOURTH MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY. A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.