What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot, as the sole occupant of the aircraft, took off VFR from runway 09 via left downwind departure at tjig airport enroute to maz airport heading westbound. Overhead punta salinas area about 5 miles west of the departure airport at 1,000 feet MSL, pilot experienced engine roughness with clucking noise repeating several times. Pilot initially reduced engine power. Engine roughness got worse. He then added full power, RPM indicated 2900, and he decided to return to sig airport for landing while making a 180 turn. At that time, propeller stopped in the air. He stated that he checked mixture full rich, magnetos on both, carb heat-off. He assessed that he would not be able to reach the airport. Pilot declared emergency with sig control tower and landed on a double lane highway in the city of Catano, PR. He stated that he touched down at 65 miles per hour; rolled about 500 feet; and maneuvered the aircrfat onto the grass highway median using the rolling momentum of the aircraft. He brought the aircraft to a stop using aircraft braking. He stated that he did not hit any objects, or other cars in the process. He sustained no injuries as a result of this off airport emergency landing.
At the scene of the incident, collected fuel from each wing and engine sump, and fuel showed blue in color, and free of contaminants. Engine oil dipstick showed slightly above 6 quarts of oil. Left side of the engine cowling showed deformation caused by impact from within the engine compartment; and significant amount of engine oil was observed leaking over the nose landing gear strut and nose gear fairing.
Upon removing the engine cowling, it was seen that one of the cylinders was dislodged, engine casing was broken, and piece of engine block was missing.
The investigation of this case will be documented with ptrs # SO63201901416/NXG/1711 operations; and ptrs # SO63201901366 by airworthiness/AAS/5711.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT, AS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, TOOK OFF VFR FROM RUNWAY 09 VIA LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE AT TJIG AIRPORT ENROUTE TO MAZ AIRPORT HEADING WESTBOUND. OVERHEAD PUNTA SALINAS AREA ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AT 1,000 FEET MSL, PILOT EXPERIENCED ENGINE ROUGHNESS WITH CLUCKING NOISE REPEATING SEVERAL TIMES. PILOT INITIALLY REDUCED ENGINE POWER. ENGINE ROUGHNESS GOT WORSE. HE THEN ADDED FULL POWER, RPM INDICATED 2900, AND HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO SIG AIRPORT FOR LANDING WHILE MAKING A 180 TURN. AT THAT TIME, PROPELLER STOPPED IN THE AIR. HE STATED THAT HE CHECKED MIXTURE FULL RICH, MAGNETOS ON BOTH, CARB HEAT-OFF. HE ASSESSED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT. PILOT DECLARED EMERGENCY WITH SIG CONTROL TOWER AND LANDED ON A DOUBLE LANE HIGHWAY IN THE CITY OF CATANO, PR. HE STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN AT 65 MILES PER HOUR; ROLLED ABOUT 500 FEET; AND MANEUVERED THE AIRCRFAT ONTO THE GRASS HIGHWAY MEDIAN USING THE ROLLING MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO A STOP USING AIRCRAFT BRAKING. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HIT ANY OBJECTS, OR OTHER CARS IN THE PROCESS. HE SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING.
AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT, COLLECTED FUEL FROM EACH WING AND ENGINE SUMP, AND FUEL SHOWED BLUE IN COLOR, AND FREE OF CONTAMINANTS. ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK SHOWED SLIGHTLY ABOVE 6 QUARTS OF OIL. LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING SHOWED DEFORMATION CAUSED BY IMPACT FROM WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT; AND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING OVER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT AND NOSE GEAR FAIRING.
UPON REMOVING THE ENGINE COWLING, IT WAS SEEN THAT ONE OF THE CYLINDERS WAS DISLODGED, ENGINE CASING WAS BROKEN, AND PIECE OF ENGINE BLOCK WAS MISSING.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS CASE WILL BE DOCUMENTED WITH PTRS # SO63201901416/NXG/1711 OPERATIONS; AND PTRS # SO63201901366 BY AIRWORTHINESS/AAS/5711.