What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Biennial flight review. Noted low oil pressure. Rough engine. Landed cross furrow plowed field. Nose gear folded.(.4) the flight had been airborne about 30 minutes performing airwork, then while flying at 2,000 feet returning to the airport, the CFI noted that the oil pressure was below the lower end of the green arc. He questioned the owner if that was normal; it was not. The engine then began to run rough and began to lose power. Attempts to correct this were unsuccessful. The CFI attempted to perform a forced landin in a field but while on final approach with the throttle still applied, engine power was momentarily restored. He then overflew the intended field and attmepted a landing in freshly plowed field perpendicular to the plowed rows. After touchdown the nose landing gear collapsed and the engine partially separated from the airframe. Disassembly of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The oil cooler bypass valve was tested which revealed that it did not meet the minimum extension at the midpoint of the test range. The engine had accumulated about 2,091 hours since manufacture with no record of the bypass valve being replaced. (-23) thirty minutes after departing sumter, SC (sms), the pilot noticed low oil pressure and high oil temp. The engine failed and an off airport landing was made in a cotton field approximately six miles north of sumter, SC (sms). The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. NOTED LOW OIL PRESSURE. ROUGH ENGINE. LANDED CROSS FURROW PLOWED FIELD. NOSE GEAR FOLDED.(.4) THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE ABOUT 30 MINUTES PERFORMING AIRWORK, THEN WHILE FLYING AT 2,000 FEET RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT, THE CFI NOTED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS BELOW THE LOWER END OF THE GREEN ARC. HE QUESTIONED THE OWNER IF THAT WAS NORMAL; IT WAS NOT. THE ENGINE THEN BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THIS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDIN IN A FIELD BUT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH WITH THE THROTTLE STILL APPLIED, ENGINE POWER WAS MOMENTARILY RESTORED. HE THEN OVERFLEW THE INTENDED FIELD AND ATTMEPTED A LANDING IN FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLOWED ROWS. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ENGINE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE OIL COOLER BYPASS VALVE WAS TESTED WHICH REVEALED THAT IT DID NOT MEET THE MINIMUM EXTENSION AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE TEST RANGE. THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 2,091 HOURS SINCE MANUFACTURE WITH NO RECORD OF THE BYPASS VALVE BEING REPLACED. (-23) THIRTY MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING SUMTER, SC (SMS), THE PILOT NOTICED LOW OIL PRESSURE AND HIGH OIL TEMP. THE ENGINE FAILED AND AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WAS MADE IN A COTTON FIELD APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES NORTH OF SUMTER, SC (SMS). THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.