What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed the saratoga county airport rwy 5 at approximately 15:17 hrs. EDT time for a local flight. The pilot of the aircraft was the sole passenger. VFR weather conditions prevailed. On climb out, at approximately 2500 feet, the pilot stated that he heard a loud bang, and noted significant engine roughness. The pilot stated that he then lost power and began to descend at about 1200' per minute. The pilot stated that he did not believe that he could return to the airport and chose to land in a field nearby. The aircraft landed in a field located at privacy data omitted, approximately 3NM nnw of the airport. The pilot of the aircraft sustained minor injuries in the crash, was treated on scene for cuts to his fingers, and hands. He refused transport for medical treatment or evaluation.
Evidence at the crash site indicated that the aircraft landed downslope (3-4 degrees) a significant distance into the cleared portion of the field, gear up. The airplane touched down on a heading of approximately 010 degrees, leaving a depression of approximately 5 inches in the soil. Markings on the ground indicate that the aircraft skidded approximately 60 feet and then pivoted coming to rest with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft pointing in a se direction on a heading of approximately 120 degrees. The aircraft sustained substantial damage in the landing to include extensive damage to the left wing, fuselage, and underbelly. The left-side water pylon separated from the aircraft wing, and the engine pylon all but separated from the fuselage due to side loading/moments during the crash sequlae. One of the propeller blades was partially embedded in the left side of the cabin. Another blade was embedded in the left flap. A significant amount of oil was observed widespread on the exterior of the aircraft, forward and aft of the engine mounting location. Further examination of the engine revealed that the number 6 cylinder assembly had failed, for unknown reasons, resulting in engine damage, perforation of the engine crankcase, and attendant loss of oil. An unknown quantity of avgas was present in the left tank. The right tank had no fuel visible, but the smell of the vapors was consistent with the presents of avgas at some prior time. Power was observed still applied to the panel although the master switch was in the off position, and the ELT was active. The battery was exposed by on scene personnel and disconnected. The ELT was removed from the aircraft and de-activated.
According to the pilot flight controls worked normally.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SARATOGA COUNTY AIRPORT RWY 5 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:17 HRS. EDT TIME FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE SOLE PASSENGER. VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED. ON CLIMB OUT, AT APPROXIMATELY 2500 FEET, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND NOTED SIGNIFICANT ENGINE ROUGHNESS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO DESCEND AT ABOUT 1200' PER MINUTE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT HE COULD RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND CHOSE TO LAND IN A FIELD NEARBY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A FIELD LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, APPROXIMATELY 3NM NNW OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN THE CRASH, WAS TREATED ON SCENE FOR CUTS TO HIS FINGERS, AND HANDS. HE REFUSED TRANSPORT FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT OR EVALUATION.
EVIDENCE AT THE CRASH SITE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED DOWNSLOPE (3-4 DEGREES) A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE INTO THE CLEARED PORTION OF THE FIELD, GEAR UP. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 010 DEGREES, LEAVING A DEPRESSION OF APPROXIMATELY 5 INCHES IN THE SOIL. MARKINGS ON THE GROUND INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET AND THEN PIVOTED COMING TO REST WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTING IN A SE DIRECTION ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN THE LANDING TO INCLUDE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, FUSELAGE, AND UNDERBELLY. THE LEFT-SIDE WATER PYLON SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WING, AND THE ENGINE PYLON ALL BUT SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE DUE TO SIDE LOADING/MOMENTS DURING THE CRASH SEQULAE. ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WAS PARTIALLY EMBEDDED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CABIN. ANOTHER BLADE WAS EMBEDDED IN THE LEFT FLAP. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL WAS OBSERVED WIDESPREAD ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, FORWARD AND AFT OF THE ENGINE MOUNTING LOCATION. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 6 CYLINDER ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, RESULTING IN ENGINE DAMAGE, PERFORATION OF THE ENGINE CRANKCASE, AND ATTENDANT LOSS OF OIL. AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF AVGAS WAS PRESENT IN THE LEFT TANK. THE RIGHT TANK HAD NO FUEL VISIBLE, BUT THE SMELL OF THE VAPORS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESENTS OF AVGAS AT SOME PRIOR TIME. POWER WAS OBSERVED STILL APPLIED TO THE PANEL ALTHOUGH THE MASTER SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION, AND THE ELT WAS ACTIVE. THE BATTERY WAS EXPOSED BY ON SCENE PERSONNEL AND DISCONNECTED. THE ELT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND DE-ACTIVATED.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT FLIGHT CONTROLS WORKED NORMALLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.