What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/03/2015 the albany FSDO investigated an aircraft that had made an emergency landing in a field located at 9635 county hwy 18 in Bloomville NY. The aircraft departed from from southern Vermont regional airport (krut)on 04/02/2015 at approximately 12:00PM. Upon arrival the aircraft was positioned at the end of a field with its landing gear retracted approximately 550 feet from the point of ground contact. The aircraft sustained damage to both wing flaps and the underside of the fuselage. Two of the three propeller blades were bent aft at approximately 6 inches from the tip.
The engine did not show any obvious signs of mechanical defects.
The left wing fuel tank was completely full of fuel. The right wing fuel tank contained fuel up to the inner filler neck tabs.
The pilot was interviewed by phone and reported at approximately 45 minutes into flight at 6500 ft, he heard a loud "bang". The engine began running rough and then quit. Pilot reported engine performance normal with slightly lower manifold pressure indication prior the engine malfunction. Pilot reported he performed an emergency landing into a field with the gear up intentionally to reduced the possibility of flipping over. Pilot reported the engine had approximately 150 hours since major overhaul and had no prior issues.
Investigation revealed probable crankshaft failure to number 1 and number 2 cylinders. Teardown report indicated failure of number two cylinder connecting rod attachment hardware.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/03/2015 THE ALBANY FSDO INVESTIGATED AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD LOCATED AT 9635 COUNTY HWY 18 IN BLOOMVILLE NY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM FROM SOUTHERN VERMONT REGIONAL AIRPORT (KRUT)ON 04/02/2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00PM. UPON ARRIVAL THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED AT THE END OF A FIELD WITH ITS LANDING GEAR RETRACTED APPROXIMATELY 550 FEET FROM THE POINT OF GROUND CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO BOTH WING FLAPS AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. TWO OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT AT APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES FROM THE TIP.
THE ENGINE DID NOT SHOW ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS OF MECHANICAL DEFECTS.
THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY FULL OF FUEL. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK CONTAINED FUEL UP TO THE INNER FILLER NECK TABS.
THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY PHONE AND REPORTED AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT AT 6500 FT, HE HEARD A LOUD "BANG". THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. PILOT REPORTED ENGINE PERFORMANCE NORMAL WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER MANIFOLD PRESSURE INDICATION PRIOR THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION. PILOT REPORTED HE PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A FIELD WITH THE GEAR UP INTENTIONALLY TO REDUCED THE POSSIBILITY OF FLIPPING OVER. PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 150 HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL AND HAD NO PRIOR ISSUES.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED PROBABLE CRANKSHAFT FAILURE TO NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2 CYLINDERS. TEARDOWN REPORT INDICATED FAILURE OF NUMBER TWO CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD ATTACHMENT HARDWARE.