What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine vibration power loss. Landed hard clearing trees. Nosed over. NR9 cylnder seperated. Broken connecting rod. During cruise flight about 800FEET above ground level about 1.5 miles east of the destination airport, the pilot felt a vibration and abserved an object protruding through the engine cowling. Unable to maintain altitude due to the loss of engine power, the pilot attempted a forced landing in a field. With the landing gear and speed brake extended, after clearing trees, the airplane stalled, impacted the ground nose low, then nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed that the no.9 cylinder was seperated from the engine. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the no.9 cylinder piston was failed, the auxiliary rod end sleeve was missing, and the auxiliary rod piston pin hole was elongated. The maintenance records indicate that the engine had accumulated 425 hours since new at the time of failure. (-23) approximately 5 miles east of Pageland airport (pyg), the engine of N158T began to shake violently. An engine cylinder was ejected through the top cowling and the engine failed. An off airport landing was made in a hay field, and the aircraft overturned. The pilot sustained substantial injuries and was transported to carolina medical center. There were no passengers. No damage occurred to property or persons on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE VIBRATION POWER LOSS. LANDED HARD CLEARING TREES. NOSED OVER. NR9 CYLNDER SEPERATED. BROKEN CONNECTING ROD. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 800FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ABOUT 1.5 MILES EAST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT FELT A VIBRATION AND ABSERVED AN OBJECT PROTRUDING THROUGH THE ENGINE COWLING. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND SPEED BRAKE EXTENDED, AFTER CLEARING TREES, THE AIRPLANE STALLED, IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE LOW, THEN NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NO.9 CYLINDER WAS SEPERATED FROM THE ENGINE. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NO.9 CYLINDER PISTON WAS FAILED, THE AUXILIARY ROD END SLEEVE WAS MISSING, AND THE AUXILIARY ROD PISTON PIN HOLE WAS ELONGATED. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 425 HOURS SINCE NEW AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. (-23) APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES EAST OF PAGELAND AIRPORT (PYG), THE ENGINE OF N158T BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. AN ENGINE CYLINDER WAS EJECTED THROUGH THE TOP COWLING AND THE ENGINE FAILED. AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WAS MADE IN A HAY FIELD, AND THE AIRCRAFT OVERTURNED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO CAROLINA MEDICAL CENTER. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.