What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Approximately 41 minutes into the flight the pilot stated he heard a load bang and suddenly experienced significant engine trouble to include loss of power. He tried landing the aircraft at Stoltzfus field but ended up short putting it down in a field approximately 500 yards just north of the runway. Upon landing the left wing struck a brush pile and spun the aircraft to the left nosing it into a row of pine trees. The pilot was uninjured but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing, nose gear, engine, prop and firewall. The engine compartment and underside of the aircraft was covered with oil and there was no oil present on the dipstick. Initial inspection of the engine after the accident did not detect any supporting factors as to why the engine had failed and the loss of oil. The engine was later removed from the aircraft and reexamined. Inspection this time revealed that the #5 cylinder connecting rod had broken and was separated from the crankshaft. By direction of the NTSB, the engine was crated and shipped to Continental engines in mobile, AL. For further evaluation.
As the FAA filed it
APPROXIMATELY 41 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT STATED HE HEARD A LOAD BANG AND SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT ENGINE TROUBLE TO INCLUDE LOSS OF POWER. HE TRIED LANDING THE AIRCRAFT AT STOLTZFUS FIELD BUT ENDED UP SHORT PUTTING IT DOWN IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 500 YARDS JUST NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. UPON LANDING THE LEFT WING STRUCK A BRUSH PILE AND SPUN THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT NOSING IT INTO A ROW OF PINE TREES. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, NOSE GEAR, ENGINE, PROP AND FIREWALL. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED WITH OIL AND THERE WAS NO OIL PRESENT ON THE DIPSTICK. INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT DID NOT DETECT ANY SUPPORTING FACTORS AS TO WHY THE ENGINE HAD FAILED AND THE LOSS OF OIL. THE ENGINE WAS LATER REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND REEXAMINED. INSPECTION THIS TIME REVEALED THAT THE #5 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD HAD BROKEN AND WAS SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. BY DIRECTION OF THE NTSB, THE ENGINE WAS CRATED AND SHIPPED TO CONTINENTAL ENGINES IN MOBILE, AL. FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.