What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Shortly after take off from sts, pilot noticed the engine oil temperature had risen from 180 to 190 degrees f. the pilot also noticed that they were not gaining altitude and, because of the mountain ridge between sts and their location, made a decision to go to healdsburg (O31) airport. However the oil temperature kept rising and was now at 200 degrees f and climbing as the oil pressure was dropping and the pilot could not hold altitude. However the oil temperature kept rising and was not at 200 degrees f and climbing as the oil pressure was dropping and the pilot could not hold altitude. A couple of minutes later, the pilot heard a loud noise from the engine compartment accompanied by a complete loss of power. Attempting an off field landing, with gear (recommended with this amphibious aircraft in emergency procedures) and flaps down, the pilot belly landed in a soft ground vineyard, nose dug in, and the aircraft came to rest inverted. Limited subsequent investigation, witnessed by NTSB, aviation safety inspector, privacy data omitted revealed an uncontained failure of the number 1 cylinder piston main connecting rod at the crankshaft journal.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM STS, PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE HAD RISEN FROM 180 TO 190 DEGREES F. THE PILOT ALSO NOTICED THAT THEY WERE NOT GAINING ALTITUDE AND, BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE BETWEEN STS AND THEIR LOCATION, MADE A DECISION TO GO TO HEALDSBURG (O31) AIRPORT. HOWEVER THE OIL TEMPERATURE KEPT RISING AND WAS NOW AT 200 DEGREES F AND CLIMBING AS THE OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AND THE PILOT COULD NOT HOLD ALTITUDE. HOWEVER THE OIL TEMPERATURE KEPT RISING AND WAS NOT AT 200 DEGREES F AND CLIMBING AS THE OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AND THE PILOT COULD NOT HOLD ALTITUDE. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ACCOMPANIED BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. ATTEMPTING AN OFF FIELD LANDING, WITH GEAR (RECOMMENDED WITH THIS AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT IN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES) AND FLAPS DOWN, THE PILOT BELLY LANDED IN A SOFT GROUND VINEYARD, NOSE DUG IN, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. LIMITED SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION, WITNESSED BY NTSB, AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED REVEALED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER PISTON MAIN CONNECTING ROD AT THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.