What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 14, 2021 aircraft departed kfoe on an IFR flight plan at approximately 8:00PM. Takeoff was smooth and normal. While climbing to 8K, at 8:10-8:15PM upon reaching 4.5K aircraft engine shuttered and the pilot side engine cowl blew open. Pilot witnessed a large hole in the cowling. Pilot noticed US-75 4 lane highway with fairly light traffic. He then contacted kc center and declared the emergency. Pilot elected to land on the highway. Oil was covering the LH half of windshield and pilot was unable to make out the highway from LH seat. Pilot slid over to RH seat, watched traffic to ensure adequate separation from cars. At 10 feet pilot decided to level off to bleed off speed and to give traffic behind a chance to slow down and allow a gap to land.
Touch down was smooth. This N-35 has no brakes on the r/h side. Pilot moved over to the LH seat to enable braking. Total rollout distance was about 1 mile.
Pilot was contacted by phone from the kc center controller and informed kc center of the situation and safe status of all persons onboard and no property damage on highway. Aircraft was towed off the highway to a Kansas dot open area away from all traffic. Total time on highway was about 1 hour.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 14, 2021 AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KFOE ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00PM. TAKEOFF WAS SMOOTH AND NORMAL. WHILE CLIMBING TO 8K, AT 8:10-8:15PM UPON REACHING 4.5K AIRCRAFT ENGINE SHUTTERED AND THE PILOT SIDE ENGINE COWL BLEW OPEN. PILOT WITNESSED A LARGE HOLE IN THE COWLING. PILOT NOTICED US-75 4 LANE HIGHWAY WITH FAIRLY LIGHT TRAFFIC. HE THEN CONTACTED KC CENTER AND DECLARED THE EMERGENCY. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY. OIL WAS COVERING THE LH HALF OF WINDSHIELD AND PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE OUT THE HIGHWAY FROM LH SEAT. PILOT SLID OVER TO RH SEAT, WATCHED TRAFFIC TO ENSURE ADEQUATE SEPARATION FROM CARS. AT 10 FEET PILOT DECIDED TO LEVEL OFF TO BLEED OFF SPEED AND TO GIVE TRAFFIC BEHIND A CHANCE TO SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW A GAP TO LAND.
TOUCH DOWN WAS SMOOTH. THIS N-35 HAS NO BRAKES ON THE R/H SIDE. PILOT MOVED OVER TO THE LH SEAT TO ENABLE BRAKING. TOTAL ROLLOUT DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 1 MILE.
PILOT WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE FROM THE KC CENTER CONTROLLER AND INFORMED KC CENTER OF THE SITUATION AND SAFE STATUS OF ALL PERSONS ONBOARD AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE ON HIGHWAY. AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO A KANSAS DOT OPEN AREA AWAY FROM ALL TRAFFIC. TOTAL TIME ON HIGHWAY WAS ABOUT 1 HOUR.
Other reports on N1503Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.