What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The 3400 hour commercial instrument pilot departed the mobile Alabama downtown airport (kbfm) in a Piper PA-32R-300, N750R with a destination of st louis downtown airport (kcps) in cahokia, Illinois. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules in visual meteorological conditions at 4000 ft. MSL under a high 10,000 ft. overcast sky.
The aircraft was cruising on a course of approximately 350° at 4000 ft. toward kcps. Saint louis approach control issued N750R a descent clearance from 4000 ft. to maintain 3000 ft. approximately 20 NM southeast of kcps. The pilot reported a loud bang from the engine, a complete obstruction of the windscreen with oil, and illumination of the low oil pressure warning light after initiating the descent. There was no prior indication of the immediate failure of power.
Approach control issued N750R a clearance direct to kcps. The pilot responded that he was unable to make kcps and was going to attempt a landing in a field. Radar contact was lost at 1941Z.
The pilot stated that he established a 90 knot glide speed, applied full right rudder and left aileron to look out the left cockpit window for a landing area. He maintained this glide toward road on a heading of 233° parallel to the right side of the road. The pilot did not recall using flaps or extending the landing gear. The landing gear was found in the extended and locked position and the flaps position was not determined due to impact damage.
The aircraft made a steep descent through the small top branches of a 50 foot tree continued 190 ft. until the right wingtip contacted level terrain and a metal fence post. The engine and propeller assembly contacted terrain 20 feet from the initial ground scar. The aircraft pivoted over the nose while rotating to the left and came to rest inverted 35 feet from the nose impact on a heading of 145°.
The pilot in the left front seat and left rear forward facing passenger sustained serious injuries. The small child restrained in a car seat located in the right rear forward facing passenger seat was not injured.
On site examination of the engine revealed a large hole in the engine case with the number 4 piston connecting rod visible broken near the piston pin. Engine oil coated the exterior of the aircraft appearing consistent with a large amount present at the time of failure.
As the FAA filed it
THE 3400 HOUR COMMERCIAL INSTRUMENT PILOT DEPARTED THE MOBILE ALABAMA DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (KBFM) IN A PIPER PA-32R-300, N750R WITH A DESTINATION OF ST LOUIS DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (KCPS) IN CAHOKIA, ILLINOIS. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT 4000 FT. MSL UNDER A HIGH 10,000 FT. OVERCAST SKY.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING ON A COURSE OF APPROXIMATELY 350° AT 4000 FT. TOWARD KCPS. SAINT LOUIS APPROACH CONTROL ISSUED N750R A DESCENT CLEARANCE FROM 4000 FT. TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. APPROXIMATELY 20 NM SOUTHEAST OF KCPS. THE PILOT REPORTED A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE, A COMPLETE OBSTRUCTION OF THE WINDSCREEN WITH OIL, AND ILLUMINATION OF THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT AFTER INITIATING THE DESCENT. THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION OF THE IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF POWER.
APPROACH CONTROL ISSUED N750R A CLEARANCE DIRECT TO KCPS. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE KCPS AND WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT A LANDING IN A FIELD. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1941Z.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ESTABLISHED A 90 KNOT GLIDE SPEED, APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON TO LOOK OUT THE LEFT COCKPIT WINDOW FOR A LANDING AREA. HE MAINTAINED THIS GLIDE TOWARD ROAD ON A HEADING OF 233° PARALLEL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL USING FLAPS OR EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE EXTENDED AND LOCKED POSITION AND THE FLAPS POSITION WAS NOT DETERMINED DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE.
THE AIRCRAFT MADE A STEEP DESCENT THROUGH THE SMALL TOP BRANCHES OF A 50 FOOT TREE CONTINUED 190 FT. UNTIL THE RIGHT WINGTIP CONTACTED LEVEL TERRAIN AND A METAL FENCE POST. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLY CONTACTED TERRAIN 20 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR. THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED OVER THE NOSE WHILE ROTATING TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST INVERTED 35 FEET FROM THE NOSE IMPACT ON A HEADING OF 145°.
THE PILOT IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT AND LEFT REAR FORWARD FACING PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE SMALL CHILD RESTRAINED IN A CAR SEAT LOCATED IN THE RIGHT REAR FORWARD FACING PASSENGER SEAT WAS NOT INJURED.
ON SITE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A LARGE HOLE IN THE ENGINE CASE WITH THE NUMBER 4 PISTON CONNECTING ROD VISIBLE BROKEN NEAR THE PISTON PIN. ENGINE OIL COATED THE EXTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEARING CONSISTENT WITH A LARGE AMOUNT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.