What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 4th 2014, pilot of aircraft N9833R reported loss of power and diverted into krmg (Rome, Georgia.) The aircraft landed safely without incident.
According the pilot?s statement he had departed ksme (lake cumberland regional airport, Kentucky) headed for ktlh (tallahassee, FL) at 10:20AM. The flight was an IFR flight at an approx. altitude of 8000 feet. They were headed south on airway V243 just north of the metae intersection, at 11:26 the plane started to shutter and vibrate followed by a loud bang, smoke entered the compartment. The pilot declared an emergency, and atlanta center advised the pilot that 5.4 miles on a heading of 160 was krmg. Atlanta cleared the aircraft to 4000 feet, but with the engine failed the pilot advised atlanta he could not hold this altitude. The pilot came out of the clouds and entered a right base for runway 19. The aircraft landed normally with enough speed to coast off the runway. After departing the aircraft the pilot inspected and found a large hole in the top left of the engine.
Inspector?s statement;
On June 5th 2014 FAA inspectors visited rmg airport to inspect aircraft N9833R. The aircraft was stored inside a hangar with no noticeable airframe damage. There was a large amount of oil streaked down the side of the aircraft from the cowling back. Visual inspection of the engine revealed an approximate 2? Hole in the top, left, center of the engine case. The hole is directly above the number 4 cylinder, between the cylinder flange and the case flange half (back bone.) The hole is located just aft of the oil fill neck and just below the fuel flow divider. There is a crack exiting the hole at the 6 o?clock position extending to the number 4 cylinder flange. Possible cause could be engine rod failure resulting from cylinder failure. The owner noted in his written statement that he noticed the smell of oil burn approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, and a vibration that slowly increased over the previous few hours of flying.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 4TH 2014, PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N9833R REPORTED LOSS OF POWER AND DIVERTED INTO KRMG (ROME, GEORGIA.) THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT INCIDENT.
ACCORDING THE PILOT?S STATEMENT HE HAD DEPARTED KSME (LAKE CUMBERLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT, KENTUCKY) HEADED FOR KTLH (TALLAHASSEE, FL) AT 10:20AM. THE FLIGHT WAS AN IFR FLIGHT AT AN APPROX. ALTITUDE OF 8000 FEET. THEY WERE HEADED SOUTH ON AIRWAY V243 JUST NORTH OF THE METAE INTERSECTION, AT 11:26 THE PLANE STARTED TO SHUTTER AND VIBRATE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG, SMOKE ENTERED THE COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND ATLANTA CENTER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT 5.4 MILES ON A HEADING OF 160 WAS KRMG. ATLANTA CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO 4000 FEET, BUT WITH THE ENGINE FAILED THE PILOT ADVISED ATLANTA HE COULD NOT HOLD THIS ALTITUDE. THE PILOT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND ENTERED A RIGHT BASE FOR RUNWAY 19. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NORMALLY WITH ENOUGH SPEED TO COAST OFF THE RUNWAY. AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT THE PILOT INSPECTED AND FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE TOP LEFT OF THE ENGINE.
INSPECTOR?S STATEMENT;
ON JUNE 5TH 2014 FAA INSPECTORS VISITED RMG AIRPORT TO INSPECT AIRCRAFT N9833R. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STORED INSIDE A HANGAR WITH NO NOTICEABLE AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL STREAKED DOWN THE SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE COWLING BACK. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED AN APPROXIMATE 2? HOLE IN THE TOP, LEFT, CENTER OF THE ENGINE CASE. THE HOLE IS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER, BETWEEN THE CYLINDER FLANGE AND THE CASE FLANGE HALF (BACK BONE.) THE HOLE IS LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE OIL FILL NECK AND JUST BELOW THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER. THERE IS A CRACK EXITING THE HOLE AT THE 6 O?CLOCK POSITION EXTENDING TO THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER FLANGE. POSSIBLE CAUSE COULD BE ENGINE ROD FAILURE RESULTING FROM CYLINDER FAILURE. THE OWNER NOTED IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE NOTICED THE SMELL OF OIL BURN APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, AND A VIBRATION THAT SLOWLY INCREASED OVER THE PREVIOUS FEW HOURS OF FLYING.