What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed poplar grove airport (C77) on a VFR flight. Pilot reports during flight at 7500 ft. there was a sudden loud bang and severe vibration. The cockpit filled with smoke and the windscreen was opacified by oil. He made an emergency descent and landed in an empty field with gear down and full flaps. The aircraft came to rest in a field near Plainfield, IL on its landing gear. No post fire, and no injuries reported. The aircraft was removed from the field and repositioned by vehicle to aroura, IL municipal airport (arr) to ja aircraft facility. There was no damage to the aircraft during the relocation. FAA arrived on scene at ja aircraft and performed a visual inspection of the airframe and landing gear with no discrepancies noted. Performed visual inspection of the engine there was multiple holes in the engine case. The largest hole was between cylinders 1 and 2. There is a hole in the upper case just aft of the cylinder base at cylinder 4 and 5. The connecting rod was missing from cylinder 2 along with the piston wrist pin which was found lying next to cylinder 1IN the baffling. No evidence of the connecting rod attached to crankshaft on cylinder 4. Left and right magnetos were broken off the accessory case mounting flanges. The cause of this failure has not been determined at this time. This will be amended following further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED POPLAR GROVE AIRPORT (C77) ON A VFR FLIGHT. PILOT REPORTS DURING FLIGHT AT 7500 FT. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD BANG AND SEVERE VIBRATION. THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDSCREEN WAS OPACIFIED BY OIL. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDED IN AN EMPTY FIELD WITH GEAR DOWN AND FULL FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD NEAR PLAINFIELD, IL ON ITS LANDING GEAR. NO POST FIRE, AND NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE FIELD AND REPOSITIONED BY VEHICLE TO AROURA, IL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ARR) TO JA AIRCRAFT FACILITY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE RELOCATION. FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE AT JA AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRFRAME AND LANDING GEAR WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. PERFORMED VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE THERE WAS MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE ENGINE CASE. THE LARGEST HOLE WAS BETWEEN CYLINDERS 1 AND 2. THERE IS A HOLE IN THE UPPER CASE JUST AFT OF THE CYLINDER BASE AT CYLINDER 4 AND 5. THE CONNECTING ROD WAS MISSING FROM CYLINDER 2 ALONG WITH THE PISTON WRIST PIN WHICH WAS FOUND LYING NEXT TO CYLINDER 1IN THE BAFFLING. NO EVIDENCE OF THE CONNECTING ROD ATTACHED TO CRANKSHAFT ON CYLINDER 4. LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS WERE BROKEN OFF THE ACCESSORY CASE MOUNTING FLANGES. THE CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THIS WILL BE AMENDED FOLLOWING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.