What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed nas kingsville (knqi) approximately 16:20 local time with 57 gallons of fuel. Aircraft climbed to 11500 ft enroute to red river airport coushatta, Louisiana (0R7). About 15 minutes into the flight a severe engine vibration occurred. The vibration occurred for about 30 seconds before a loud "bang" was heard. A piece of engine blew through the cowling oil door and flew over the aircraft. Aircraft lost total power. Canopy was covered with oil and all forward visibility was lost. The aircraft began to vibrate/shake and continued until pilot slowed the aircraft to best glide speed of 110 mph. Pilot immediately checked GPS for nearest airport that he could make it to and it was (9TE5) Kalt Ranch Airport, which turned out to be an abandoned airstrip. He glided directly to the airstrip using the GPS as reference. Pilot had minimal visibility out the left and right side of the canopy. Pilot descended through an opening in the clouds. When he finally had view of the runway he was at approximately 700 feet and a base leg on the downwind side. He had to land with an estimated 25 knot tail wind. Aircraft touched down about a third of the way down the 1650 foot runway. Pilot (had zero visibility looking forward) did not see a piece of roof panel with a dish antenna that was laying on the runway. The aircraft impacted the debris with the left main gear. The landing gear was completely ripped off the fuselage. The aircraft continued to skid toward the right side of the runway and the landing gear went over to the left of the runway. Airplane had substantial damage to lower side of fuselage from nose to tail, right wing aileron was damaged at outboard side, rudder was damaged at lower side , propeller was destroyed, engine was destroyed, three of the four engine mounts were still attached to engine truss assembly, which separated from the cracked engine hard points. One engine mount was still attached to engine case. Bottom of aircraft wings could not be checked for damage. Crankshaft counter balance weight was found three feet behind aircraft.
Inspectors determined based on the inspection that the crankshaft counter balance weight came off the crankshaft, which threw the crankshaft out of balance causing excessive vibration and eventually destroying the engine. No signs of leakage from fuel tanks. No post crash fire and no injury to pilot.
NTSB will have engine inspected. Report may be amended upon outcome of NTSB results.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED NAS KINGSVILLE (KNQI) APPROXIMATELY 16:20 LOCAL TIME WITH 57 GALLONS OF FUEL. AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 11500 FT ENROUTE TO RED RIVER AIRPORT COUSHATTA, LOUISIANA (0R7). ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT A SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION OCCURRED. THE VIBRATION OCCURRED FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE A LOUD "BANG" WAS HEARD. A PIECE OF ENGINE BLEW THROUGH THE COWLING OIL DOOR AND FLEW OVER THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT LOST TOTAL POWER. CANOPY WAS COVERED WITH OIL AND ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE/SHAKE AND CONTINUED UNTIL PILOT SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO BEST GLIDE SPEED OF 110 MPH. PILOT IMMEDIATELY CHECKED GPS FOR NEAREST AIRPORT THAT HE COULD MAKE IT TO AND IT WAS (9TE5) KALT RANCH AIRPORT, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE AN ABANDONED AIRSTRIP. HE GLIDED DIRECTLY TO THE AIRSTRIP USING THE GPS AS REFERENCE. PILOT HAD MINIMAL VISIBILITY OUT THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANOPY. PILOT DESCENDED THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS. WHEN HE FINALLY HAD VIEW OF THE RUNWAY HE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET AND A BASE LEG ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE. HE HAD TO LAND WITH AN ESTIMATED 25 KNOT TAIL WIND. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN THE 1650 FOOT RUNWAY. PILOT (HAD ZERO VISIBILITY LOOKING FORWARD) DID NOT SEE A PIECE OF ROOF PANEL WITH A DISH ANTENNA THAT WAS LAYING ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE DEBRIS WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE LANDING GEAR WAS COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE LANDING GEAR WENT OVER TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. AIRPLANE HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LOWER SIDE OF FUSELAGE FROM NOSE TO TAIL, RIGHT WING AILERON WAS DAMAGED AT OUTBOARD SIDE, RUDDER WAS DAMAGED AT LOWER SIDE , PROPELLER WAS DESTROYED, ENGINE WAS DESTROYED, THREE OF THE FOUR ENGINE MOUNTS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO ENGINE TRUSS ASSEMBLY, WHICH SEPARATED FROM THE CRACKED ENGINE HARD POINTS. ONE ENGINE MOUNT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO ENGINE CASE. BOTTOM OF AIRCRAFT WINGS COULD NOT BE CHECKED FOR DAMAGE. CRANKSHAFT COUNTER BALANCE WEIGHT WAS FOUND THREE FEET BEHIND AIRCRAFT.
INSPECTORS DETERMINED BASED ON THE INSPECTION THAT THE CRANKSHAFT COUNTER BALANCE WEIGHT CAME OFF THE CRANKSHAFT, WHICH THREW THE CRANKSHAFT OUT OF BALANCE CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND EVENTUALLY DESTROYING THE ENGINE. NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE FROM FUEL TANKS. NO POST CRASH FIRE AND NO INJURY TO PILOT.
NTSB WILL HAVE ENGINE INSPECTED. REPORT MAY BE AMENDED UPON OUTCOME OF NTSB RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.