What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot refueled aircraft at puj on his way to roanoke VA. At FL9500 pilot reported a loud bang from the engine. The pilot tried to make a emergency landing at the Brevard NC airport which is a private grass trip. He landed long because of farm equipment bailing hay on the runway. The aircraft could not stop so the pilot elected to gain altitude to clear a road and then tried to stop on the Brevard NC elementary school soccer field. The nose wheel sheared from the aircraft and the aircraft came to rest 228 feet from the nose wheel assembly in an embankment next to the parking lot of the school with the tail of the aircraft in the air. There was evidence of oil on the belly, left main gear strut fairing and left engine cowling cooling vents. The prop blades are bent but no damage on the leading edges. The firewall is damaged. There is no apparent visual damage to the engine that is accessible. The upper nose gear strut housing is bent aft and the aircraft belly is laying on the housing. The left wing has leading edge damage at the mounting surface of the wingtip. Left and right sets of rudder pedals are bent. The flooring under the left set of rudder pedals is buckled.
06-11-2013 Aircraft was at atlanta air salvage. Engined was inspected further for apparent damage. An initial cold compression check indicated all cylinders had compression with the exception of number two cylinder. After all cylinders were checked number two cylinder was rechecked and it indicated compression. Engine run was attempted with a continuous backfiring noise. Engine induction clamps were tightened and engine run completed again with same backfiring noise. Engine oil leak noted at the number 2 cylinder exhaust pushrod shroud. The pushroud shroud had separated at the retainer flange for the tube compression spring. The valve rocker cover was removed along with the exhaust valve rocker arm. When the pushrod removal was attempted only half came out. The pushrod was broken into two pieces. The outboard piece was removed and the piece that rest in the hydraulic lifter remained. The pushrod has broken in a compression type break with the biggest end of the taper beginning at pushrod rocker shaft end tapering down to at point in the middle of the pushrod itself. The remaining piece could not be removed at this time. Cylinder was removed and sent to NTSB for further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REFUELED AIRCRAFT AT PUJ ON HIS WAY TO ROANOKE VA. AT FL9500 PILOT REPORTED A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT TRIED TO MAKE A EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE BREVARD NC AIRPORT WHICH IS A PRIVATE GRASS TRIP. HE LANDED LONG BECAUSE OF FARM EQUIPMENT BAILING HAY ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT STOP SO THE PILOT ELECTED TO GAIN ALTITUDE TO CLEAR A ROAD AND THEN TRIED TO STOP ON THE BREVARD NC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD. THE NOSE WHEEL SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 228 FEET FROM THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY IN AN EMBANKMENT NEXT TO THE PARKING LOT OF THE SCHOOL WITH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE AIR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF OIL ON THE BELLY, LEFT MAIN GEAR STRUT FAIRING AND LEFT ENGINE COWLING COOLING VENTS. THE PROP BLADES ARE BENT BUT NO DAMAGE ON THE LEADING EDGES. THE FIREWALL IS DAMAGED. THERE IS NO APPARENT VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE. THE UPPER NOSE GEAR STRUT HOUSING IS BENT AFT AND THE AIRCRAFT BELLY IS LAYING ON THE HOUSING. THE LEFT WING HAS LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AT THE MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE WINGTIP. LEFT AND RIGHT SETS OF RUDDER PEDALS ARE BENT. THE FLOORING UNDER THE LEFT SET OF RUDDER PEDALS IS BUCKLED.
06-11-2013 AIRCRAFT WAS AT ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE. ENGINED WAS INSPECTED FURTHER FOR APPARENT DAMAGE. AN INITIAL COLD COMPRESSION CHECK INDICATED ALL CYLINDERS HAD COMPRESSION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NUMBER TWO CYLINDER. AFTER ALL CYLINDERS WERE CHECKED NUMBER TWO CYLINDER WAS RECHECKED AND IT INDICATED COMPRESSION. ENGINE RUN WAS ATTEMPTED WITH A CONTINUOUS BACKFIRING NOISE. ENGINE INDUCTION CLAMPS WERE TIGHTENED AND ENGINE RUN COMPLETED AGAIN WITH SAME BACKFIRING NOISE. ENGINE OIL LEAK NOTED AT THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER EXHAUST PUSHROD SHROUD. THE PUSHROUD SHROUD HAD SEPARATED AT THE RETAINER FLANGE FOR THE TUBE COMPRESSION SPRING. THE VALVE ROCKER COVER WAS REMOVED ALONG WITH THE EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM. WHEN THE PUSHROD REMOVAL WAS ATTEMPTED ONLY HALF CAME OUT. THE PUSHROD WAS BROKEN INTO TWO PIECES. THE OUTBOARD PIECE WAS REMOVED AND THE PIECE THAT REST IN THE HYDRAULIC LIFTER REMAINED. THE PUSHROD HAS BROKEN IN A COMPRESSION TYPE BREAK WITH THE BIGGEST END OF THE TAPER BEGINNING AT PUSHROD ROCKER SHAFT END TAPERING DOWN TO AT POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PUSHROD ITSELF. THE REMAINING PIECE COULD NOT BE REMOVED AT THIS TIME. CYLINDER WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO NTSB FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.