What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Approx. 50 minutes after departing kirksville MO the pilot noticed that the oil pressure was at the bottom of the green arc when he was scanning the flight/engine instruments. He notified sus tower of his situation. They directed him to contact st. louis approach control. Within 1 to 2 minutes the enigne sounded as if it was destructing internally then it seized. He radioed a "mayday" call. An emergency landing was executed into the busch wildlife conservation area in Weldon Springs, MO. The alnding site was a field that was approx. 175-200 yards long with trees surrounding it. The airplane landed with about 40% of the available field length left. It rolled to the edge of the field and contacted a row of trees with the nose ending up between a couple of trees. Damage was noticed at the leading edge of both wings, a propeller blade appeared to be slightly bent, the left main landing gear strut showed signs of deformation at the foot step area, and the leftside of the fuselage belly section was deformed inward by contact with the trees.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) APPROX. 50 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING KIRKSVILLE MO THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN ARC WHEN HE WAS SCANNING THE FLIGHT/ENGINE INSTRUMENTS. HE NOTIFIED SUS TOWER OF HIS SITUATION. THEY DIRECTED HIM TO CONTACT ST. LOUIS APPROACH CONTROL. WITHIN 1 TO 2 MINUTES THE ENIGNE SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS DESTRUCTING INTERNALLY THEN IT SEIZED. HE RADIOED A "MAYDAY" CALL. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED INTO THE BUSCH WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AREA IN WELDON SPRINGS, MO. THE ALNDING SITE WAS A FIELD THAT WAS APPROX. 175-200 YARDS LONG WITH TREES SURROUNDING IT. THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH ABOUT 40% OF THE AVAILABLE FIELD LENGTH LEFT. IT ROLLED TO THE EDGE OF THE FIELD AND CONTACTED A ROW OF TREES WITH THE NOSE ENDING UP BETWEEN A COUPLE OF TREES. DAMAGE WAS NOTICED AT THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS, A PROPELLER BLADE APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY BENT, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT SHOWED SIGNS OF DEFORMATION AT THE FOOT STEP AREA, AND THE LEFTSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE BELLY SECTION WAS DEFORMED INWARD BY CONTACT WITH THE TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.