What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While the Piper cherokee was climbing to cruise altitude of 10,000 feet, the engine began running rough then started to vibrate severely. Moments later the pilot heard a loud bang, subsequently releasing oil out of the cowling and onto the windshield. A restart was attempted the propeller would not rotate. The pilot made an uneventful landed on a remote mountainous highway and taxied into a large open area off the shoulder of the highway.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE THE PIPER CHEROKEE WAS CLIMBING TO CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 10,000 FEET, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH THEN STARTED TO VIBRATE SEVERELY. MOMENTS LATER THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG, SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASING OIL OUT OF THE COWLING AND ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED THE PROPELLER WOULD NOT ROTATE. THE PILOT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDED ON A REMOTE MOUNTAINOUS HIGHWAY AND TAXIED INTO A LARGE OPEN AREA OFF THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY.
Other reports on N9554J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.