What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During cruise flight while conducting flight instruction a loud bang was heard followed by the engine running extremely rough. Mixture was set to full rich and the pilot tried changing mags which resulted in no change to the engines operating condition. The pilot called ATC and informed them of the engine problems but did not declare an emergency. While the pilot was attempting to determine the nearest airport to land at, the engine quit completely. The pilot performed the emergency checklist and declared an emergency with ATC. An off airport landing was conducted in a farm field with no further damage to aircraft or passengers. Upon visual inspection of the engine, on-site, it was observed that the engine block was cracked on the top side of the #1 & #3 cylinders. The engine had a total of 1218.9 hours since new. The logbooks for the aircraft and engine were incomplete but, there were accurate records back to 2003. Since 2003 there had been no major maintenance conducted on the engine. The NTSB did not recommend teardown analysis due to the age of the engine and the incomplete records. An internal part failure is believed to be the cause of the engine failure.
As the FAA filed it
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT WHILE CONDUCTING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH. MIXTURE WAS SET TO FULL RICH AND THE PILOT TRIED CHANGING MAGS WHICH RESULTED IN NO CHANGE TO THE ENGINES OPERATING CONDITION. THE PILOT CALLED ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ENGINE PROBLEMS BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. WHILE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO LAND AT, THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY. THE PILOT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC. AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WAS CONDUCTED IN A FARM FIELD WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT OR PASSENGERS. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, ON-SITE, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE #1 & #3 CYLINDERS. THE ENGINE HAD A TOTAL OF 1218.9 HOURS SINCE NEW. THE LOGBOOKS FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE INCOMPLETE BUT, THERE WERE ACCURATE RECORDS BACK TO 2003. SINCE 2003 THERE HAD BEEN NO MAJOR MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED ON THE ENGINE. THE NTSB DID NOT RECOMMEND TEARDOWN ANALYSIS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE ENGINE AND THE INCOMPLETE RECORDS. AN INTERNAL PART FAILURE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE.
Other reports on N7321B · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.