What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While at cruise altitude of 11,000 feet the pilot noticed the engine starting to run rough. Shortly thereafter smoke started to enter the cockpit. The pilot radioed ATC and received clearance to descend. Upon the emergency landing the pilot realized that he had not lowered the gear, the propeller struck the centerline of the runway 2 approximately 1500 feet from threshold. The pilot approached the end of the runway, pulled up to avoid a small hill with the underside of the aircraft striking the hill, the airplane then traveled another 1500 feet and came to rest in a small field just off the airport. The initial engine examination revealed that just above the number one cylinder deck area appeared a hole with the number one cylinder connecting rod protruding out resulting in engine failure.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 11,000 FEET THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE STARTING TO RUN ROUGH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER SMOKE STARTED TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT RADIOED ATC AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO DESCEND. UPON THE EMERGENCY LANDING THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE HAD NOT LOWERED THE GEAR, THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY 2 APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET FROM THRESHOLD. THE PILOT APPROACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, PULLED UP TO AVOID A SMALL HILL WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THE HILL, THE AIRPLANE THEN TRAVELED ANOTHER 1500 FEET AND CAME TO REST IN A SMALL FIELD JUST OFF THE AIRPORT. THE INITIAL ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT JUST ABOVE THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER DECK AREA APPEARED A HOLE WITH THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD PROTRUDING OUT RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.