Narrative:

We departed jxn on a training flight to lan. My father the student wanted to practice his radio work as well as his night flying. After leaving jxn we leveled off at 3500' MSL and got lan's ATIS. My father then contacted lan approach to get clearance into the arsa. At some point in the process of getting ATIS and contacting approach my father mentioned that all indicators were in the green. Then there was a terrible crack and bang noise. I immediately reached up and retarded the throttle to idle. By the time I had done this, the engine had quit and the propeller came to a stop. Then for a few seconds there was a lot of white smoke coming out of the engine cowling. As soon as the engine quit I told my father that I had the aircraft. When the smoke quit it was apparent that the windshield had been covered with oil and that we could not see out of it. My father called lan approach and advised them of our situation. They were very helpful in advising us of the nearest airports, however they were out of our gliding range. My father told them that we were going to land on a road. I maneuvered the aircraft toward the road; however, being able to only see out the side windows, I was slightly high and overshot the road. My next choice was a wheat field, which we did land in west/O damage to the aircraft or occupants. My concern was this situation is first, an aircraft engine with only 1640 hours on a factory remanufacture that fails, and second, the oil on the windshield and no way to clean it off in flight. To the best of my knowledge, no far's were violated in this instance, but I was advised by the FAA to file this report. When the FAA inspector removed the engine cowling it was obvious to him that a connecting rod had failed, and as a result poked a 2' hold in the engine case. It was also found that the engine still contained 6 qts of oil.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IN SINGLE ENGINE SMA.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED JXN ON A TRNING FLT TO LAN. MY FATHER THE STUDENT WANTED TO PRACTICE HIS RADIO WORK AS WELL AS HIS NIGHT FLYING. AFTER LEAVING JXN WE LEVELED OFF AT 3500' MSL AND GOT LAN'S ATIS. MY FATHER THEN CONTACTED LAN APCH TO GET CLRNC INTO THE ARSA. AT SOME POINT IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING ATIS AND CONTACTING APCH MY FATHER MENTIONED THAT ALL INDICATORS WERE IN THE GREEN. THEN THERE WAS A TERRIBLE CRACK AND BANG NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY REACHED UP AND RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. BY THE TIME I HAD DONE THIS, THE ENG HAD QUIT AND THE PROP CAME TO A STOP. THEN FOR A FEW SECS THERE WAS A LOT OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENG COWLING. AS SOON AS THE ENG QUIT I TOLD MY FATHER THAT I HAD THE ACFT. WHEN THE SMOKE QUIT IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN COVERED WITH OIL AND THAT WE COULD NOT SEE OUT OF IT. MY FATHER CALLED LAN APCH AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR SITUATION. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN ADVISING US OF THE NEAREST ARPTS, HOWEVER THEY WERE OUT OF OUR GLIDING RANGE. MY FATHER TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE GOING TO LAND ON A ROAD. I MANEUVERED THE ACFT TOWARD THE ROAD; HOWEVER, BEING ABLE TO ONLY SEE OUT THE SIDE WINDOWS, I WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH AND OVERSHOT THE ROAD. MY NEXT CHOICE WAS A WHEAT FIELD, WHICH WE DID LAND IN W/O DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR OCCUPANTS. MY CONCERN WAS THIS SITUATION IS FIRST, AN ACFT ENG WITH ONLY 1640 HRS ON A FACTORY REMANUFACTURE THAT FAILS, AND SECOND, THE OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD AND NO WAY TO CLEAN IT OFF IN FLT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NO FAR'S WERE VIOLATED IN THIS INSTANCE, BUT I WAS ADVISED BY THE FAA TO FILE THIS RPT. WHEN THE FAA INSPECTOR REMOVED THE ENG COWLING IT WAS OBVIOUS TO HIM THAT A CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED, AND AS A RESULT POKED A 2' HOLD IN THE ENG CASE. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE ENG STILL CONTAINED 6 QTS OF OIL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.