What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed from Minot, ND at approx 1723 local time. Twelve miles southwest of Minot climbing through 6600 feet, the engine became noisy and was rattling very loud. The pilot leveled the aircraft and tried different power settings in attempt to smooth the engine. The aircraft was losing altitude and the pilot determined he would not make it back to the airport and notified ATC. He lined up to land on a gravel road, saw it was filled with snow and bordered by powerlines then decided to land in an adjacent field. During investigation I determined that the #1 cylinder connecting rod failed at the wrist pin end causing significant damage to the engine case and cylinder.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM MINOT, ND AT APPROX 1723 LOCAL TIME. TWELVE MILES SOUTHWEST OF MINOT CLIMBING THROUGH 6600 FEET, THE ENGINE BECAME NOISY AND WAS RATTLING VERY LOUD. THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND TRIED DIFFERENT POWER SETTINGS IN ATTEMPT TO SMOOTH THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOSING ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND NOTIFIED ATC. HE LINED UP TO LAND ON A GRAVEL ROAD, SAW IT WAS FILLED WITH SNOW AND BORDERED BY POWERLINES THEN DECIDED TO LAND IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. DURING INVESTIGATION I DETERMINED THAT THE #1 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD FAILED AT THE WRIST PIN END CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CASE AND CYLINDER.