What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 19 April at 1830 CDT privacy data omitted an experimental amateur build long ez aircraft departed Covington, TN municipal airport (M04) with a destination of west memphis, ar municipal airport (awm). The pilot reported a routine and uneventful flight to (awm) performed one touch and go landing then procced to return to his point of departure (M04). The pilot stated that just after his initial decent from 4,000 MSL to prepare for landing at (M04) he felt a shudder followed by a bad vibration that he felt was coming from the engine. The pilot immediately reduced engine power and noticed the vibration had improved and continued to improve the lower the engine RPM went. The pilot determined he would not be able to reach the airport and decided to declare an emergency off field landing in a wheat field close to the airport. The pilot reports shutting down the engine and preparing the aircraft for landing per the POH emergency procedures. The pilot was able to make a successful off field landing in the wheat field sustaining no injuries and minor damage to the aircraft wheel pants. Inspection of the aircraft revealed a 5-inch section of the propeller had been severally damaged by the fiberglass lower engine cowling departing the aircraft striking the propeller causing the imbalance thus causing the vibration. Inspection revealed that the lower cowling was ripped off in flight leaving the fastener sides of the cowling that attached to the lower trailing edge of the wing. The fastener holes were ripped and shredded fiberglass as evidence that the cowling’s leading edge somehow was exposed to the airstream. The inspector was unable to determine if this was due to improper installation or component failure as the lower engine cowling was not able to be recovered. A review of the aircraft logbook entries did not indicate any recent maintenance activity, indicating the engine cowling had been removed recently. It was the inspector’s observation that the aircraft had been maintained and was current on its condition inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON 19 APRIL AT 1830 CDT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILD LONG EZ AIRCRAFT DEPARTED COVINGTON, TN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (M04) WITH A DESTINATION OF WEST MEMPHIS, AR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (AWM). THE PILOT REPORTED A ROUTINE AND UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT TO (AWM) PERFORMED ONE TOUCH AND GO LANDING THEN PROCCED TO RETURN TO HIS POINT OF DEPARTURE (M04). THE PILOT STATED THAT JUST AFTER HIS INITIAL DECENT FROM 4,000 MSL TO PREPARE FOR LANDING AT (M04) HE FELT A SHUDDER FOLLOWED BY A BAD VIBRATION THAT HE FELT WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND NOTICED THE VIBRATION HAD IMPROVED AND CONTINUED TO IMPROVE THE LOWER THE ENGINE RPM WENT. THE PILOT DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT AND DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY OFF FIELD LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTS SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND PREPARING THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING PER THE POH EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL OFF FIELD LANDING IN THE WHEAT FIELD SUSTAINING NO INJURIES AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WHEEL PANTS. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A 5-INCH SECTION OF THE PROPELLER HAD BEEN SEVERALLY DAMAGED BY THE FIBERGLASS LOWER ENGINE COWLING DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THE PROPELLER CAUSING THE IMBALANCE THUS CAUSING THE VIBRATION. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LOWER COWLING WAS RIPPED OFF IN FLIGHT LEAVING THE FASTENER SIDES OF THE COWLING THAT ATTACHED TO THE LOWER TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING. THE FASTENER HOLES WERE RIPPED AND SHREDDED FIBERGLASS AS EVIDENCE THAT THE COWLING’S LEADING EDGE SOMEHOW WAS EXPOSED TO THE AIRSTREAM. THE INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR COMPONENT FAILURE AS THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RECOVERED. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK ENTRIES DID NOT INDICATE ANY RECENT MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY, INDICATING THE ENGINE COWLING HAD BEEN REMOVED RECENTLY. IT WAS THE INSPECTOR’S OBSERVATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MAINTAINED AND WAS CURRENT ON ITS CONDITION INSPECTION.