What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated he had departed a private grass airstrip in Brasstown NC in VMC conditions. During cruise flight the pilot then heard an unidentifiable sound from the engine with an associated vibration. He immediately turned back toward an open field and prepared for an off-airport landing. The pilot made a mayday call on 122.9 and opted to continue to flight back to his depature point because the engine was still running strong. After noticing the engine was losing coolant along with oil and coolant temps rising extremely high the pilot chose to land on an un-mowed field perpendicular to the airstrip before the engine quit. A hard landing resulted in a prop strike, nose gear collapse and damage to "head rack tube" and the windscreen.
Activity #: EA68202203144
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED HE HAD DEPARTED A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP IN BRASSTOWN NC IN VMC CONDITIONS. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PILOT THEN HEARD AN UNIDENTIFIABLE SOUND FROM THE ENGINE WITH AN ASSOCIATED VIBRATION. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TOWARD AN OPEN FIELD AND PREPARED FOR AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. THE PILOT MADE A MAYDAY CALL ON 122.9 AND OPTED TO CONTINUE TO FLIGHT BACK TO HIS DEPATURE POINT BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING STRONG. AFTER NOTICING THE ENGINE WAS LOSING COOLANT ALONG WITH OIL AND COOLANT TEMPS RISING EXTREMELY HIGH THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND ON AN UN-MOWED FIELD PERPENDICULAR TO THE AIRSTRIP BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT. A HARD LANDING RESULTED IN A PROP STRIKE, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE AND DAMAGE TO "HEAD RACK TUBE" AND THE WINDSCREEN.
ACTIVITY #: EA68202203144
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.