What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mid-day Thursday, March 27, 2025, during flight operations within the airport traffic area of Clarendon Municipal Airport (4M8) the pilot experienced engine failure. The pilot had been flying the aircraft for approximately 1.5 hours and had just completed a low-level water disbursement for training, which included flying down the runway and dropping water from 80’. The pilot exited the “drop” and climbed to pattern altitude using left traffic for rwy 18 to land. As the pilot neared the final portion of the left downwind leg and was turning the base leg, out ahead of the windscreen, in the area around the left exhaust discharge, the pilot could see objects ejecting, while also experiencing very loud sounds, load engine changes, and total loss of engine torque. The pilot determined the runway was not reachable and identified a cultivated farm field approximately 1 mile from the runway due north. The pilot reverified no engine output while setting up for landing. The pilot touched down and at the end of the ground roll, the main wheels dug into a very soft dry soil area and the remaining energy picked the tail up 90’ and then set back down on the wheels. The pilot exited the aircraft without incident or injury at 12:06 pm.
Additional damage to the aircraft during the emergency landing includes a damaged fiberglass wingtip, damage to and separation from the engine of the propeller assembly, and damage to cowlings at the front of the engine.
As the FAA filed it
MID-DAY THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2025, DURING FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA OF CLARENDON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (4M8) THE PILOT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS AND HAD JUST COMPLETED A LOW-LEVEL WATER DISBURSEMENT FOR TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDED FLYING DOWN THE RUNWAY AND DROPPING WATER FROM 80’. THE PILOT EXITED THE “DROP” AND CLIMBED TO PATTERN ALTITUDE USING LEFT TRAFFIC FOR RWY 18 TO LAND. AS THE PILOT NEARED THE FINAL PORTION OF THE LEFT DOWNWIND LEG AND WAS TURNING THE BASE LEG, OUT AHEAD OF THE WINDSCREEN, IN THE AREA AROUND THE LEFT EXHAUST DISCHARGE, THE PILOT COULD SEE OBJECTS EJECTING, WHILE ALSO EXPERIENCING VERY LOUD SOUNDS, LOAD ENGINE CHANGES, AND TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE TORQUE. THE PILOT DETERMINED THE RUNWAY WAS NOT REACHABLE AND IDENTIFIED A CULTIVATED FARM FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY DUE NORTH. THE PILOT REVERIFIED NO ENGINE OUTPUT WHILE SETTING UP FOR LANDING. THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN AND AT THE END OF THE GROUND ROLL, THE MAIN WHEELS DUG INTO A VERY SOFT DRY SOIL AREA AND THE REMAINING ENERGY PICKED THE TAIL UP 90’ AND THEN SET BACK DOWN ON THE WHEELS. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT OR INJURY AT 12:06 PM.
ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING INCLUDES A DAMAGED FIBERGLASS WINGTIP, DAMAGE TO AND SEPARATION FROM THE ENGINE OF THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY, AND DAMAGE TO COWLINGS AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE.