What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 15 January 2010, at 1050 hours (hrs.) Eastern standard time (EST) N4615Y a 1972 Piper PA-18, serial # 18-8936, owned by smoketown banners LLC, of 110 short st. new holland, PA. 17557 and piloted by dan milligan, commercial pilots license 3117448, departed smoketown airport (S37, smoketown, Pennsylvania). At 1105 EST he landed at central jersey regional airport (47N), manville, new jersey (NJ), to pick up a banner which was contracted by privacy data omitted to be towed to the eastern shore of new jersey, then north through the hudson VFR corridor. At 1215 hrs. EST N4615Y piloted by daniel milligan departed 47N and proceeded on course with no anomalies in reference to engine operations. At 1235 hrs. EST at cruise altitude of 1,000 feet, airspeed of approximately 40 knots, geographically located above route 440 and adjacent to the Staten Island, new york, fresh kills landfill, pilot milligan reported a discernable noise followed by engine roughness accompanied with smoke that entered the cockpit. He squawked 7700 on his transponder, and contacted newark tower on 121.5 mhz stating, "pan, pan, pan" followed by his position and the condition of his aircraft. He then maneuvered the aircraft so as to execute a partial power emergency landing atop of the landfill site. The banner was released over the land fill in such a way as to avoid any injury and/or damage to persons or property. Pilot milligan, safely landed N4615Y incurring no damage to the aircraft outside of the results of failed engine cylinder, nor did he cause damage to any property, either public or private, or did he jeopardize the safety of any person or persons. Investigation revealed the aircraft was powered by a Lycoming engine (formerly Textron Lycoming) O-360-A2A series, parallel valve reciprocating engine, with engine components, inc. (eci) cylinder head assemblies. Reviewed and found all aircraft log books, airworthiness directives (AD), supplemental type certificates (STC), maintenance and all annual inspections to be in compliance. Number one cylinder failed, separating from where the head to barrel had interfaced, thus causing complete failure of the engine. It appears that the code of federal regulations were strictly adhered to and there were no anomalies in the operation of and/or the maintenance to the aircraft. This is the official report of this incident; no further action is to be considered.
As the FAA filed it
ON 15 JANUARY 2010, AT 1050 HOURS (HRS.) EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST) N4615Y A 1972 PIPER PA-18, SERIAL # 18-8936, OWNED BY SMOKETOWN BANNERS LLC, OF 110 SHORT ST. NEW HOLLAND, PA. 17557 AND PILOTED BY DAN MILLIGAN, COMMERCIAL PILOTS LICENSE 3117448, DEPARTED SMOKETOWN AIRPORT (S37, SMOKETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA). AT 1105 EST HE LANDED AT CENTRAL JERSEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (47N), MANVILLE, NEW JERSEY (NJ), TO PICK UP A BANNER WHICH WAS CONTRACTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO BE TOWED TO THE EASTERN SHORE OF NEW JERSEY, THEN NORTH THROUGH THE HUDSON VFR CORRIDOR. AT 1215 HRS. EST N4615Y PILOTED BY DANIEL MILLIGAN DEPARTED 47N AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE WITH NO ANOMALIES IN REFERENCE TO ENGINE OPERATIONS. AT 1235 HRS. EST AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 1,000 FEET, AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS, GEOGRAPHICALLY LOCATED ABOVE ROUTE 440 AND ADJACENT TO THE STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, FRESH KILLS LANDFILL, PILOT MILLIGAN REPORTED A DISCERNABLE NOISE FOLLOWED BY ENGINE ROUGHNESS ACCOMPANIED WITH SMOKE THAT ENTERED THE COCKPIT. HE SQUAWKED 7700 ON HIS TRANSPONDER, AND CONTACTED NEWARK TOWER ON 121.5 MHZ STATING, "PAN, PAN, PAN" FOLLOWED BY HIS POSITION AND THE CONDITION OF HIS AIRCRAFT. HE THEN MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT SO AS TO EXECUTE A PARTIAL POWER EMERGENCY LANDING ATOP OF THE LANDFILL SITE. THE BANNER WAS RELEASED OVER THE LAND FILL IN SUCH A WAY AS TO AVOID ANY INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY. PILOT MILLIGAN, SAFELY LANDED N4615Y INCURRING NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OUTSIDE OF THE RESULTS OF FAILED ENGINE CYLINDER, NOR DID HE CAUSE DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY, EITHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, OR DID HE JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF ANY PERSON OR PERSONS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT WAS POWERED BY A LYCOMING ENGINE (FORMERLY TEXTRON LYCOMING) O-360-A2A SERIES, PARALLEL VALVE RECIPROCATING ENGINE, WITH ENGINE COMPONENTS, INC. (ECI) CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLIES. REVIEWED AND FOUND ALL AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS, AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES (AD), SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATES (STC), MAINTENANCE AND ALL ANNUAL INSPECTIONS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE. NUMBER ONE CYLINDER FAILED, SEPARATING FROM WHERE THE HEAD TO BARREL HAD INTERFACED, THUS CAUSING COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS WERE STRICTLY ADHERED TO AND THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES IN THE OPERATION OF AND/OR THE MAINTENANCE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THIS IS THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THIS INCIDENT; NO FURTHER ACTION IS TO BE CONSIDERED.