Narrative:

After a normal run-up, magneto check, full power check and adequate ground run to properly warm the engine, I announced my intentions on the CTAF and departed F69 from runway 34. Once airborne, addison tower was contacted. When ATC had radar contact, a turn to the left (or west) was initiated to return to F69 and orbit the airport. Suddenly, and without any advanced warning from the gauges, the engine began to shudder. A noticeable reduction in power was detected and reduction in oil pressure. When it became apparent that the engine was not making sufficient power to keep the aircraft airborne, I began to look for places to land because I could not make it to any airport from my present altitude. I was heading south just north of the baptist church, a heavily populated area. In an effort to avert damage of property on the ground, I turned back to the nnw. At this time, I switched tanks in an effort to restore power. This had no effect on the power output of the engine. I attempted to adjust the throttle setting and this had no effect on the power output of the engine. I called addison tower and informed them that I was having engine problems and I could not maintain altitude. I surveyed all available landing areas and ultimately decided upon a hard surface road that appeared to be my best landing site since no automobiles were observed on the road. I aligned with the middle of the road and after clearing a horizontal wire, lowered the landing gear. I maneuvered under another horizontal wire subsequently landing without incident. I secured the cockpit by turning fuel, magnetos and master switch off and exited the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his engine was inspected after the event. Initial inspection revealed a failure of the piston rod nut. The system has a new style nut holding the piston rod to the crank shaft. This nut design/failure allowed the rod to pull through the retaining nut. The engine was operating on a reduced number of cylinders. There were other cases of this reported to him by friends, one having 3 rods let go. Some of the cases were within 5 hours of installation of the rebuilt motor. His engine, with newly chromed cylinders, had 23 hours. The beech owner's forum, the manufacturer, FAA and the NTSB all know about the problem. The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive about the crankshaft/piston rod attachment nut in question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B36 BONANZA PVT PLT PERFORMS AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG WHEN HIS ENG FAILS TO PRODUCE ADEQUATE PWR TO ENABLE HIM TO LAND ANYWHERE EXCEPT ON A HARD SURFACED ROAD 5 MI NW OF ADS, TX.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL RUN-UP, MAGNETO CHK, FULL PWR CHK AND ADEQUATE GND RUN TO PROPERLY WARM THE ENG, I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF AND DEPARTED F69 FROM RWY 34. ONCE AIRBORNE, ADDISON TWR WAS CONTACTED. WHEN ATC HAD RADAR CONTACT, A TURN TO THE L (OR W) WAS INITIATED TO RETURN TO F69 AND ORBIT THE ARPT. SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING FROM THE GAUGES, THE ENG BEGAN TO SHUDDER. A NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN PWR WAS DETECTED AND REDUCTION IN OIL PRESSURE. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ENG WAS NOT MAKING SUFFICIENT PWR TO KEEP THE ACFT AIRBORNE, I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR PLACES TO LAND BECAUSE I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO ANY ARPT FROM MY PRESENT ALT. I WAS HDG S JUST N OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH, A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA. IN AN EFFORT TO AVERT DAMAGE OF PROPERTY ON THE GND, I TURNED BACK TO THE NNW. AT THIS TIME, I SWITCHED TANKS IN AN EFFORT TO RESTORE PWR. THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PWR OUTPUT OF THE ENG. I ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE THROTTLE SETTING AND THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PWR OUTPUT OF THE ENG. I CALLED ADDISON TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS HAVING ENG PROBS AND I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. I SURVEYED ALL AVAILABLE LNDG AREAS AND ULTIMATELY DECIDED UPON A HARD SURFACE ROAD THAT APPEARED TO BE MY BEST LNDG SITE SINCE NO AUTOMOBILES WERE OBSERVED ON THE ROAD. I ALIGNED WITH THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER CLRING A HORIZ WIRE, LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. I MANEUVERED UNDER ANOTHER HORIZ WIRE SUBSEQUENTLY LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. I SECURED THE COCKPIT BY TURNING FUEL, MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH OFF AND EXITED THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS ENG WAS INSPECTED AFTER THE EVENT. INITIAL INSPECTION REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE PISTON ROD NUT. THE SYS HAS A NEW STYLE NUT HOLDING THE PISTON ROD TO THE CRANK SHAFT. THIS NUT DESIGN/FAILURE ALLOWED THE ROD TO PULL THROUGH THE RETAINING NUT. THE ENG WAS OPERATING ON A REDUCED NUMBER OF CYLINDERS. THERE WERE OTHER CASES OF THIS RPTED TO HIM BY FRIENDS, ONE HAVING 3 RODS LET GO. SOME OF THE CASES WERE WITHIN 5 HRS OF INSTALLATION OF THE REBUILT MOTOR. HIS ENG, WITH NEWLY CHROMED CYLINDERS, HAD 23 HOURS. THE BEECH OWNER'S FORUM, THE MANUFACTURER, FAA AND THE NTSB ALL KNOW ABOUT THE PROB. THE FAA HAS ISSUED AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ABOUT THE CRANKSHAFT/PISTON ROD ATTACHMENT NUT IN QUESTION.

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.