What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 22:20 EDT aircraft N356DS, an experimental RV-6, s/n 3486P, declared an emergency due to smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed on runway 02 at Hartford/Brainard airport (hfd) and rolled the aircraft into the infield grass area at approximately 22:26 EDT. Personnel in the control tower stated that flames were visible on final approach. The pilot escaped uninjured just as aircraft became engulfed in flames. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91 and was enroute from northampton airport (7B2) to meriden airport (kmmk). Weather was visual meteorological conditions, wind 340/05, 10 miles visibility. The pilot stated that the engine started to vibrate just prior to smoke filling the cockpit and that as soon as the vibration started he shut down the engine and selected the fuel lever to off. He said the aircraft is equipped with two separate means by which the engine oil pressure can be monitored and at no time was there any indication of low or zero oil pressure inspection of the aircraft revealed that the left lower fiberglass cowl was completely destroyed by fire; the right lower cowl forward portion just under the prop was burned. The lower cowl aluminum panel attached to the carburetor air box was missing apparently destroyed by the fire. The upper cowling showed signs of scorching and heat distress. The propeller spinner was covered in soot and both blade roots also showed signs of heat distress. The fire appeared to be concentrated to the forward lower left portion of the engine compartment. The lower fuselage of the aircraft was covered with oil and was dripping off at the tail wheel. Removal of the upper cowling revealed that the engine experienced an uncontained failure. The upper left half of the engine crank case had broken into several small pieces adjacent to the #2 and #4 cylinders. The top two attach studs on both cylinders were sheared but all lower ones were intact and tight. Both the #2 & #3 piston tie rods were separated from the crankshaft and showed signs of overheating. The propeller was rotated and it was determined that the crankshaft was intact. The #2 cylinder rocker oil drain tube was separated and the #4 rocker drain was split, it could not be determined if this happened pre or post fire. All oil lines to the oil cooler were found to intact and undamaged. The oil drain was securely locked closed and the oil cap was installed properly. All fuel lines appeared to be connected and intact. The engine was a type certificated engine with a total of 280 hours. Review of the maintenance records showed that the last documented maintenance performed was a condition inspection on 6/3/2011 at 272 hours, which included an oil change and compression check.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 22:20 EDT AIRCRAFT N356DS, AN EXPERIMENTAL RV-6, S/N 3486P, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 02 AT HARTFORD/BRAINARD AIRPORT (HFD) AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE INFIELD GRASS AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 22:26 EDT. PERSONNEL IN THE CONTROL TOWER STATED THAT FLAMES WERE VISIBLE ON FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED JUST AS AIRCRAFT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS ENROUTE FROM NORTHAMPTON AIRPORT (7B2) TO MERIDEN AIRPORT (KMMK). WEATHER WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WIND 340/05, 10 MILES VISIBILITY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE JUST PRIOR TO SMOKE FILLING THE COCKPIT AND THAT AS SOON AS THE VIBRATION STARTED HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SELECTED THE FUEL LEVER TO OFF. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO SEPARATE MEANS BY WHICH THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE CAN BE MONITORED AND AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF LOW OR ZERO OIL PRESSURE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT LOWER FIBERGLASS COWL WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE; THE RIGHT LOWER COWL FORWARD PORTION JUST UNDER THE PROP WAS BURNED. THE LOWER COWL ALUMINUM PANEL ATTACHED TO THE CARBURETOR AIR BOX WAS MISSING APPARENTLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE UPPER COWLING SHOWED SIGNS OF SCORCHING AND HEAT DISTRESS. THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS COVERED IN SOOT AND BOTH BLADE ROOTS ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT DISTRESS. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE CONCENTRATED TO THE FORWARD LOWER LEFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LOWER FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED WITH OIL AND WAS DRIPPING OFF AT THE TAIL WHEEL. REMOVAL OF THE UPPER COWLING REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE. THE UPPER LEFT HALF OF THE ENGINE CRANK CASE HAD BROKEN INTO SEVERAL SMALL PIECES ADJACENT TO THE #2 AND #4 CYLINDERS. THE TOP TWO ATTACH STUDS ON BOTH CYLINDERS WERE SHEARED BUT ALL LOWER ONES WERE INTACT AND TIGHT. BOTH THE #2 & #3 PISTON TIE RODS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT AND SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS INTACT. THE #2 CYLINDER ROCKER OIL DRAIN TUBE WAS SEPARATED AND THE #4 ROCKER DRAIN WAS SPLIT, IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THIS HAPPENED PRE OR POST FIRE. ALL OIL LINES TO THE OIL COOLER WERE FOUND TO INTACT AND UNDAMAGED. THE OIL DRAIN WAS SECURELY LOCKED CLOSED AND THE OIL CAP WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. ALL FUEL LINES APPEARED TO BE CONNECTED AND INTACT.THE ENGINE WAS A TYPE CERTIFICATED ENGINE WITH A TOTAL OF 280 HOURS. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE LAST DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED WAS A CONDITION INSPECTION ON 6/3/2011 AT 272 HOURS, WHICH INCLUDED AN OIL CHANGE AND COMPRESSION CHECK.