What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was in cruise flight enroute to oshkosh, WI when he lost power and started to see smoke coming from the engine cowling. He executed a forced landing off airport in a pasture with the gear in the retracted position. On-scene examination found a four inch diameter hole in the upper side of the left crankcase half and the piston rod directly below the hole was sheared at the crank case bearing race.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ENROUTE TO OSHKOSH, WI WHEN HE LOST POWER AND STARTED TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING OFF AIRPORT IN A PASTURE WITH THE GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. ON-SCENE EXAMINATION FOUND A FOUR INCH DIAMETER HOLE IN THE UPPER SIDE OF THE LEFT CRANKCASE HALF AND THE PISTON ROD DIRECTLY BELOW THE HOLE WAS SHEARED AT THE CRANK CASE BEARING RACE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.