What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 7, 2023, using privacy data omitted, a Cessna 172M rented from privacy data omitted at khwy for a personal flight. The purpose of the flight was to practice take-offs and landings and chandelles as part of ongoing instruction for a commercial pilot certificate that I was receiving from the flight school. I was the only person on-board the airplane.
The flight departed at 10:33 a.m. local and I performed 3 touch-and-go landings as khwy before departing to the southeast. With each take-off I observed that the engine instruments were "in the green" and that they did not indicate anything abnormal. At about 10:55 local, after departing the airport, I performed a clearing turn and began practicing chandelles. While performing the first chandelle, the engine began to severely knock and vibrate and it lost a substantial amount of power. I reduced power to the engine and, although that made the knocking a little less severe, it did not reduce the problem in any meaningful way. I tried applying a little more power, perhaps a couple hundred RPM, in an attempt to at least get some power to nurse the airplane to an airport for landing. But shortly after that, the engine knocked loudly and the propeller stopped. I could also observe exterior damage to the cowling that appeared to me like a piece of the engine had attempted to punch through the top of the cowling. This occurred at approximately 11:00 local at about 3800 feet MSL.
I quickly identified an appropriate field for an emergency landing and made a couple of mayday calls and communicated with ATC. Although ATC provided me with a general direction to a grass field, I did not believe I would make it to the alternative airfield ATC identified and I did not want to fly over a lot of woodland to get there when I had an acceptable field below me.
I successfully landed the airplane at approximately 11:04 local in the chosen field without causing any damage to the airplane. I was able to contact ATC from the ground and advise that the landing was successful and that there were no injuries or damage that I was aware of (other than to the failed engine, of course). Because ATC asked for my cell phone number while I was in the air, they were able to call me on the ground within 5 minutes of landing and they helped coordinate emergency responders (who soon left because they were not needed). Although I don't have their names, two Virginia state troopers responded as well as an officer from culpepper.
The engine was torn down and inspected, it appeared #4 lower deck bolts sheared durring flight which cause the cylinder to depart the engine case. This engine was overhauled 85 hour before this action happened by valley aviation. 15 hours before the cylinder came off the engine was inspected for surging and nothing was found. We checked all other cylinders bolts for tourqe, all were within limits. The engine was inspected at the 50 hour point with no findings. At this point there is no way of assigning blame to anyone because there is no solid proof of what happened during the 85 hours of operation.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 7, 2023, USING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 172M RENTED FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT KHWY FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS AND CHANDELLES AS PART OF ONGOING INSTRUCTION FOR A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE THAT I WAS RECEIVING FROM THE FLIGHT SCHOOL. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON-BOARD THE AIRPLANE.
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AT 10:33 A.M. LOCAL AND I PERFORMED 3 TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AS KHWY BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE SOUTHEAST. WITH EACH TAKE-OFF I OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE "IN THE GREEN" AND THAT THEY DID NOT INDICATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL. AT ABOUT 10:55 LOCAL, AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRPORT, I PERFORMED A CLEARING TURN AND BEGAN PRACTICING CHANDELLES. WHILE PERFORMING THE FIRST CHANDELLE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SEVERELY KNOCK AND VIBRATE AND IT LOST A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF POWER. I REDUCED POWER TO THE ENGINE AND, ALTHOUGH THAT MADE THE KNOCKING A LITTLE LESS SEVERE, IT DID NOT REDUCE THE PROBLEM IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY. I TRIED APPLYING A LITTLE MORE POWER, PERHAPS A COUPLE HUNDRED RPM, IN AN ATTEMPT TO AT LEAST GET SOME POWER TO NURSE THE AIRPLANE TO AN AIRPORT FOR LANDING. BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ENGINE KNOCKED LOUDLY AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED. I COULD ALSO OBSERVE EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE COWLING THAT APPEARED TO ME LIKE A PIECE OF THE ENGINE HAD ATTEMPTED TO PUNCH THROUGH THE TOP OF THE COWLING. THIS OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 LOCAL AT ABOUT 3800 FEET MSL.
I QUICKLY IDENTIFIED AN APPROPRIATE FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND MADE A COUPLE OF MAYDAY CALLS AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC. ALTHOUGH ATC PROVIDED ME WITH A GENERAL DIRECTION TO A GRASS FIELD, I DID NOT BELIEVE I WOULD MAKE IT TO THE ALTERNATIVE AIRFIELD ATC IDENTIFIED AND I DID NOT WANT TO FLY OVER A LOT OF WOODLAND TO GET THERE WHEN I HAD AN ACCEPTABLE FIELD BELOW ME.
I SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE AIRPLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:04 LOCAL IN THE CHOSEN FIELD WITHOUT CAUSING ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ATC FROM THE GROUND AND ADVISE THAT THE LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE THAT I WAS AWARE OF (OTHER THAN TO THE FAILED ENGINE, OF COURSE). BECAUSE ATC ASKED FOR MY CELL PHONE NUMBER WHILE I WAS IN THE AIR, THEY WERE ABLE TO CALL ME ON THE GROUND WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF LANDING AND THEY HELPED COORDINATE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS (WHO SOON LEFT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NEEDED). ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE THEIR NAMES, TWO VIRGINIA STATE TROOPERS RESPONDED AS WELL AS AN OFFICER FROM CULPEPPER.
THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED, IT APPEARED #4 LOWER DECK BOLTS SHEARED DURRING FLIGHT WHICH CAUSE THE CYLINDER TO DEPART THE ENGINE CASE. THIS ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED 85 HOUR BEFORE THIS ACTION HAPPENED BY VALLEY AVIATION. 15 HOURS BEFORE THE CYLINDER CAME OFF THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED FOR SURGING AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. WE CHECKED ALL OTHER CYLINDERS BOLTS FOR TOURQE, ALL WERE WITHIN LIMITS. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AT THE 50 HOUR POINT WITH NO FINDINGS. AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO WAY OF ASSIGNING BLAME TO ANYONE BECAUSE THERE IS NO SOLID PROOF OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE 85 HOURS OF OPERATION.