Narrative:

At approximately XX00 the pilot and passenger departed buckeye airport on a cross country flight to a private field 23 mi west of wickenburg. The flight lasted approximately 50 mins and was uneventful. At approximately XY00 hours the pilot and passenger departed the airport for the return flight. Engine start, run up and operation at takeoff were normal. Approximately 5 mins into the flight, the engine started losing power. The pilot was transferring fuel at the time. The fuel transfer was terminated and the pilot changes throttle setting to try to find a setting that would provide thrust to no avail. The ignition switch was checked for proper position and found to be in the 'both' position. At the time of the power loss, the aircraft was approximately 1200 ft AGL. The pilot was faced with an off field landing in hostile terrain or trying to return to the airport for a downwind landing. The pilot turned in the direction of the airport. Fortunately, due to the strong wind, he was able to make the field under control but did not arrive at the end of the runway with enough energy to perform a normal flair. The engine at this point was still running but not providing any usable thrust. The aircraft contacted the runway about 5 ft from the end at a high sink rate. Aircraft was moderately damaged but is repairable. The pilot and passenger were not hurt. The engine was removed and inspected by an authority/authorized repair facility. The rear rod bearing was found to have failed on the crankshaft end. The synopsis is that the rod failed causing internal engine temperatures to soar consequently causing a seizure of the power plant. Cause of the bearing failure is unknown. The associated bearing on the other rod showed no signs of malfunction. Over 10000 hours total time, 1800 asel, 140 in type.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA AMATEUR BUILT ACFT MADE DOWNWIND FORCED LNDG BACK AT THE ARPT DEPARTED DUE TO ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX00 THE PLT AND PAX DEPARTED BUCKEYE ARPT ON A XCOUNTRY FLT TO A PVT FIELD 23 MI W OF WICKENBURG. THE FLT LASTED APPROX 50 MINS AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT APPROX XY00 HRS THE PLT AND PAX DEPARTED THE ARPT FOR THE RETURN FLT. ENG START, RUN UP AND OP AT TKOF WERE NORMAL. APPROX 5 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE ENG STARTED LOSING PWR. THE PLT WAS TRANSFERRING FUEL AT THE TIME. THE FUEL TRANSFER WAS TERMINATED AND THE PLT CHANGES THROTTLE SETTING TO TRY TO FIND A SETTING THAT WOULD PROVIDE THRUST TO NO AVAIL. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS CHKED FOR PROPER POS AND FOUND TO BE IN THE 'BOTH' POS. AT THE TIME OF THE PWR LOSS, THE ACFT WAS APPROX 1200 FT AGL. THE PLT WAS FACED WITH AN OFF FIELD LNDG IN HOSTILE TERRAIN OR TRYING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR A DOWNWIND LNDG. THE PLT TURNED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARPT. FORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE STRONG WIND, HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD UNDER CTL BUT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE END OF THE RWY WITH ENOUGH ENERGY TO PERFORM A NORMAL FLAIR. THE ENG AT THIS POINT WAS STILL RUNNING BUT NOT PROVIDING ANY USABLE THRUST. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE RWY ABOUT 5 FT FROM THE END AT A HIGH SINK RATE. ACFT WAS MODERATELY DAMAGED BUT IS REPAIRABLE. THE PLT AND PAX WERE NOT HURT. THE ENG WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED BY AN AUTH REPAIR FACILITY. THE REAR ROD BEARING WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED ON THE CRANKSHAFT END. THE SYNOPSIS IS THAT THE ROD FAILED CAUSING INTERNAL ENG TEMPS TO SOAR CONSEQUENTLY CAUSING A SEIZURE OF THE PWR PLANT. CAUSE OF THE BEARING FAILURE IS UNKNOWN. THE ASSOCIATED BEARING ON THE OTHER ROD SHOWED NO SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION. OVER 10000 HRS TOTAL TIME, 1800 ASEL, 140 IN TYPE.

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.