Narrative:

Catastrophic engine failure causing engine to seize. Loss of all oil, unable to feather propeller. Dead stick landing on cold creek road. Flying in 3 ship formation, wingman announced my plane was trailing white smoke. Started precautionary climb and 180 degree turn back to vgt. Oil pressure, oil temperature, cht were all normal. Mixture was rich, cowl flaps set for climb, power was 35 inches manifold pressure and 2400 RPM. Within 10 seconds of white smoke, smoke changed to gray, then black as all oil was vented through top port side exhaust stack. Established engine out glide speed of 130 KTS and located emergency landing location. Aircraft was secured in the air, fuel off, magnetos off, harness locked, seat lowered. Successful gear down landing was made with no damage to pilot, aircraft or other property. During emergency, wingmen coordinated communications and information to assist during dead stick landing. Wingmen continued flight overhead until emergency assistance was assured. Exact cause of engine failure has not been determined. Engine will be disassembled by FBO in van nuys, ca. Engine time was 213 hours since new. No prior problems. Series of previous oil analysis showed no potential problems. Preflight was normal, run-up normal, power check normal. Takeoff and climb out were normal. Aircraft had an excellent maintenance record and I know of nothing that would have provided an earlier warning of failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the master rod bearing of the curtis wright 9 cylinder 1400 ci engine failed causing all the other rods to be offset and to damage each of the other cylinder sleeves with their pistons. This caused the pistons to seize and catastrophic engine failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A NORTH AMERICAN T28 DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED ON A ROAD OFF ARPT AFTER THE ENG SEIZED UP AND FAILED.

Narrative: CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE CAUSING ENG TO SEIZE. LOSS OF ALL OIL, UNABLE TO FEATHER PROP. DEAD STICK LNDG ON COLD CREEK ROAD. FLYING IN 3 SHIP FORMATION, WINGMAN ANNOUNCED MY PLANE WAS TRAILING WHITE SMOKE. STARTED PRECAUTIONARY CLB AND 180 DEG TURN BACK TO VGT. OIL PRESSURE, OIL TEMP, CHT WERE ALL NORMAL. MIXTURE WAS RICH, COWL FLAPS SET FOR CLB, PWR WAS 35 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2400 RPM. WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF WHITE SMOKE, SMOKE CHANGED TO GRAY, THEN BLACK AS ALL OIL WAS VENTED THROUGH TOP PORT SIDE EXHAUST STACK. ESTABLISHED ENG OUT GLIDE SPD OF 130 KTS AND LOCATED EMER LNDG LOCATION. ACFT WAS SECURED IN THE AIR, FUEL OFF, MAGNETOS OFF, HARNESS LOCKED, SEAT LOWERED. SUCCESSFUL GEAR DOWN LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO DAMAGE TO PLT, ACFT OR OTHER PROPERTY. DURING EMER, WINGMEN COORDINATED COMS AND INFO TO ASSIST DURING DEAD STICK LNDG. WINGMEN CONTINUED FLT OVERHEAD UNTIL EMER ASSISTANCE WAS ASSURED. EXACT CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. ENG WILL BE DISASSEMBLED BY FBO IN VAN NUYS, CA. ENG TIME WAS 213 HRS SINCE NEW. NO PRIOR PROBS. SERIES OF PREVIOUS OIL ANALYSIS SHOWED NO POTENTIAL PROBS. PREFLT WAS NORMAL, RUN-UP NORMAL, PWR CHK NORMAL. TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. ACFT HAD AN EXCELLENT MAINT RECORD AND I KNOW OF NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED AN EARLIER WARNING OF FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE MASTER ROD BEARING OF THE CURTIS WRIGHT 9 CYLINDER 1400 CI ENG FAILED CAUSING ALL THE OTHER RODS TO BE OFFSET AND TO DAMAGE EACH OF THE OTHER CYLINDER SLEEVES WITH THEIR PISTONS. THIS CAUSED THE PISTONS TO SEIZE AND CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE.

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.