What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airacrat involved in arial spray operations when engine top cylinder barrel seperated from the head and caused oil to blow back on windscreeen, forcing pilot to land on minimual use gravel road. Soft gravel pulled aircraft into ditch and caused substational aircraft damage. While overseening engine removal for NTSB, a more extensive inspection of the engine revealed that the # 1 cylinder piston had travel beyound the cylinder bore and had caused the cylinder head to break off. Removing the remaining cylinder head parts for shippment the piston was also removed from the cylinder revealing that the connecting rod was broken just above the bearing area. Looking down in the engine showed many connecting rods broken.
As the FAA filed it
AIRACRAT INVOLVED IN ARIAL SPRAY OPERATIONS WHEN ENGINE TOP CYLINDER BARREL SEPERATED FROM THE HEAD AND CAUSED OIL TO BLOW BACK ON WINDSCREEEN, FORCING PILOT TO LAND ON MINIMUAL USE GRAVEL ROAD. SOFT GRAVEL PULLED AIRCRAFT INTO DITCH AND CAUSED SUBSTATIONAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.WHILE OVERSEENING ENGINE REMOVAL FOR NTSB, A MORE EXTENSIVE INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE # 1 CYLINDER PISTON HAD TRAVEL BEYOUND THE CYLINDER BORE AND HAD CAUSED THE CYLINDER HEAD TO BREAK OFF. REMOVING THE REMAINING CYLINDER HEAD PARTS FOR SHIPPMENT THE PISTON WAS ALSO REMOVED FROM THE CYLINDER REVEALING THAT THE CONNECTING ROD WAS BROKEN JUST ABOVE THE BEARING AREA. LOOKING DOWN IN THE ENGINE SHOWED MANY CONNECTING RODS BROKEN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.