What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 10, 1998 at 0815 N704UV made a forced landing in a riverbed west of the city of filmore. The student pilot explained that his engine started running rough and he was getting smoke in the cockpit. He then executed an off field landing that destroyed the aircraft. Performed an engine teardown and found the #1 cylinder to be cracked three quarters around at the mid barrell location, and subsequent failure of the oil ring. (.4) the student pilot was on a local solo flight. After practicing various maneuvers the engine began to run rough, vibrate, and smoke. The pilot made a forced landing into a riverbed and came to rest inverted. The number one cylinder was found to have a circumferential crack extending approximately 325 degrees around the barrel between the 8th and 9th cooling fins. The cylinder was further examined by a metallurgist, who reported that the barrel fins were covered with an iron oxide. The examination further revealed a fatigue crack that emanated from corrosion pits at the root radius between the 8th and 9th cooling fins. The remaining portion of the fracture exhibited an overstress separation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 10, 1998 AT 0815 N704UV MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A RIVERBED WEST OF THE CITY OF FILMORE. THE STUDENT PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HIS ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND HE WAS GETTING SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE THEN EXECUTED AN OFF FIELD LANDING THAT DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. PERFORMED AN ENGINE TEARDOWN AND FOUND THE #1 CYLINDER TO BE CRACKED THREE QUARTERS AROUND AT THE MID BARRELL LOCATION, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE OIL RING. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL SOLO FLIGHT. AFTER PRACTICING VARIOUS MANEUVERS THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, VIBRATE, AND SMOKE. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING INTO A RIVERBED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACK EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 325 DEGREES AROUND THE BARREL BETWEEN THE 8TH AND 9TH COOLING FINS. THE CYLINDER WAS FURTHER EXAMINED BY A METALLURGIST, WHO REPORTED THAT THE BARREL FINS WERE COVERED WITH AN IRON OXIDE. THE EXAMINATION FURTHER REVEALED A FATIGUE CRACK THAT EMANATED FROM CORROSION PITS AT THE ROOT RADIUS BETWEEN THE 8TH AND 9TH COOLING FINS. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE FRACTURE EXHIBITED AN OVERSTRESS SEPARATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.