What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Subject: N2217Q aircraft incident statement of events
1. On 11 aug 2021, the aircraft departed VFR from sandy creek airpark (75FL) enroute to kvld APPROXIMATELY1400Z and climbed to 9,500FT MSL.
2. I coordinated VFR flight following through tyndall approach, tallahassee approach, and finally valdosta approach.
3. During our enroute descent passing approximately 5,000FT MSL there was a loud bang accompanied with large vibrations and a dramatic reduction in power. I immediately increased mixture to rich, propeller to high RPM, throttle to full, and began to climb to establish best glide speed. The engine appeared to still be making power but there was noticeable oil on the windscreen and light smoke coming from the cowling.
4. I selected the nearest airport function on my GPS and checked approximately 30 degrees left towards quitman municipal airport. I declared an emergency with valdosta approach and stated my intentions to divert with two souls on board.
5. The engine continued to run for about a minute then quit totally with the propellor coming to a complete stop.
6. I quickly assessed that I did not have the glide distance to make it to the quitman airport so I began searching for a suitable landing site and notified valdosta approach that I would be making an off-airport landing.
7. Passing approximately 1500FT MSL I committed to a road and used a couple of 90-degree check turns to establish myself on short final for an uneventful power off landing at approximately 1440Z.
8. After landing roll-out, we called 911 to alert local authorities of our location and status. We were meet shortly after by the sheriff?s department who helped us move the aircraft off the road into a barn.
Inspection of the aircraft engine found both magneto's we disconnected from the engine , upon further inspection it was discovered that there was a internal component failure that blew a hole in the top of the engine case which resulted in the engine stoppage. The aircraft will be towed by the owner to the brooks county airport and the engine will be replaced with a serviceable engine.
As the FAA filed it
SUBJECT: N2217Q AIRCRAFT INCIDENT STATEMENT OF EVENTS
1. ON 11 AUG 2021, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED VFR FROM SANDY CREEK AIRPARK (75FL) ENROUTE TO KVLD APPROXIMATELY1400Z AND CLIMBED TO 9,500FT MSL.
2. I COORDINATED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING THROUGH TYNDALL APPROACH, TALLAHASSEE APPROACH, AND FINALLY VALDOSTA APPROACH.
3. DURING OUR ENROUTE DESCENT PASSING APPROXIMATELY 5,000FT MSL THERE WAS A LOUD BANG ACCOMPANIED WITH LARGE VIBRATIONS AND A DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN POWER. I IMMEDIATELY INCREASED MIXTURE TO RICH, PROPELLER TO HIGH RPM, THROTTLE TO FULL, AND BEGAN TO CLIMB TO ESTABLISH BEST GLIDE SPEED. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO STILL BE MAKING POWER BUT THERE WAS NOTICEABLE OIL ON THE WINDSCREEN AND LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM THE COWLING.
4. I SELECTED THE NEAREST AIRPORT FUNCTION ON MY GPS AND CHECKED APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES LEFT TOWARDS QUITMAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH VALDOSTA APPROACH AND STATED MY INTENTIONS TO DIVERT WITH TWO SOULS ON BOARD.
5. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN FOR ABOUT A MINUTE THEN QUIT TOTALLY WITH THE PROPELLOR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP.
6. I QUICKLY ASSESSED THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE GLIDE DISTANCE TO MAKE IT TO THE QUITMAN AIRPORT SO I BEGAN SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE AND NOTIFIED VALDOSTA APPROACH THAT I WOULD BE MAKING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING.
7. PASSING APPROXIMATELY 1500FT MSL I COMMITTED TO A ROAD AND USED A COUPLE OF 90-DEGREE CHECK TURNS TO ESTABLISH MYSELF ON SHORT FINAL FOR AN UNEVENTFUL POWER OFF LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 1440Z.
8. AFTER LANDING ROLL-OUT, WE CALLED 911 TO ALERT LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF OUR LOCATION AND STATUS. WE WERE MEET SHORTLY AFTER BY THE SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT WHO HELPED US MOVE THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE ROAD INTO A BARN.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE FOUND BOTH MAGNETO'S WE DISCONNECTED FROM THE ENGINE , UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A INTERNAL COMPONENT FAILURE THAT BLEW A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE STOPPAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE TOWED BY THE OWNER TO THE BROOKS COUNTY AIRPORT AND THE ENGINE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE ENGINE.