Narrative:

On aug/xa/07; I planned a day trip from ZZZ to ZZZ1 with 3 passenger aboard using 2 GPS's; LORAN and VOR; no flight plan was filed. I did my preflight and added 1 quart of 20-50 aviation oil to bring oil level up to full. Everything else checked out ok. I received taxi permission. Did run-up; oil pressure was fine; magnetos checked fine; propeller cycled twice; was fine; alternator; etc; was all working properly. Propeller set to maximum low pitch. Received permission for takeoff for a northwest departure. Takeoff was normal; 2600 RPM; lifted off; retracted gear; reset pitch to 2200 for a cruise climb at 105 mph. At approximately 7 mi northwest; the engine coughed and sputtered and I heard a bang sound then lost power to about 1500 RPM. The engine was vibrating severely. Oil started pouring out of the cowl; covering the windshield. I throttled back to idle; set up a glide pitch; and radioed ZZZ that I thought I had a propeller failure and needed to put it down. They responded that they would clear the runways for me for an emergency landing. I radioed back and said I didn't think I could make it back to ZZZ. They asked my location; and I responded that I was over a landmark. I glided at an idle throttle looking for a place to put it down; but the windshield was so covered with oil; I couldn't see out enough to find a safe place to land. I decided to try full power and see if I could make it back to ZZZ airfield. At this time I was only about 300 ft AGL. I set the propeller to low pitch for maximum power; throttled full; and reached 1700 RPM. I stopped descending and managed to climb at about 100 FPM. I radioed ZZZ tower and told them I was going to attempt to make it back to ZZZ. They suggested using runway xx; direct in approach. I was further west than that; so I decided to use runway yy. Once I was within a mi; I radioed ZZZ tower and requested landing on runway yy; they responded by saying any runway was mine. Another pilot was following me; and assisted in helping me line up on the centerline. I dropped gear at the last min; flared and made a good landing. I taxied off the runway; and contacted ground. Ground control sent a tow truck to tow me back to my shade port. The assisting pilot came over and introduced himself as an a&P. We opened up the cowl; and to my surprise; it wasn't a propeller problem; as there was a rod; a rod cap; bearing and a lot of broken metal sitting on top of my engine; and a giant hole in the top of my crankcase. The mechanic examined the bearing; and the crankshaft journal and said that they were in normal shape; indication that oiling was not the problem. With further inspection the mechanic indicated that it was most likely a rod bolt failure. The engine has 382.9 hours since major overhaul. Oil was changed at 382.7 hours; using 8 quarts of phillips 66XL 20w50. Oil analysis was conducted at the same time and was normal; with no abnormal metal found. Oil tested had 25.7 hours on it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B35 PILOT EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AFTER TAKEOFF AND RETURNED TO HIS DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR A SAFE LANDING.

Narrative: ON AUG/XA/07; I PLANNED A DAY TRIP FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WITH 3 PAX ABOARD USING 2 GPS'S; LORAN AND VOR; NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. I DID MY PREFLT AND ADDED 1 QUART OF 20-50 AVIATION OIL TO BRING OIL LEVEL UP TO FULL. EVERYTHING ELSE CHKED OUT OK. I RECEIVED TAXI PERMISSION. DID RUN-UP; OIL PRESSURE WAS FINE; MAGNETOS CHKED FINE; PROP CYCLED TWICE; WAS FINE; ALTERNATOR; ETC; WAS ALL WORKING PROPERLY. PROP SET TO MAX LOW PITCH. RECEIVED PERMISSION FOR TKOF FOR A NW DEP. TKOF WAS NORMAL; 2600 RPM; LIFTED OFF; RETRACTED GEAR; RESET PITCH TO 2200 FOR A CRUISE CLB AT 105 MPH. AT APPROX 7 MI NW; THE ENG COUGHED AND SPUTTERED AND I HEARD A BANG SOUND THEN LOST PWR TO ABOUT 1500 RPM. THE ENG WAS VIBRATING SEVERELY. OIL STARTED POURING OUT OF THE COWL; COVERING THE WINDSHIELD. I THROTTLED BACK TO IDLE; SET UP A GLIDE PITCH; AND RADIOED ZZZ THAT I THOUGHT I HAD A PROP FAILURE AND NEEDED TO PUT IT DOWN. THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY WOULD CLR THE RWYS FOR ME FOR AN EMER LNDG. I RADIOED BACK AND SAID I DIDN'T THINK I COULD MAKE IT BACK TO ZZZ. THEY ASKED MY LOCATION; AND I RESPONDED THAT I WAS OVER A LANDMARK. I GLIDED AT AN IDLE THROTTLE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PUT IT DOWN; BUT THE WINDSHIELD WAS SO COVERED WITH OIL; I COULDN'T SEE OUT ENOUGH TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO LAND. I DECIDED TO TRY FULL PWR AND SEE IF I COULD MAKE IT BACK TO ZZZ AIRFIELD. AT THIS TIME I WAS ONLY ABOUT 300 FT AGL. I SET THE PROP TO LOW PITCH FOR MAX PWR; THROTTLED FULL; AND REACHED 1700 RPM. I STOPPED DSNDING AND MANAGED TO CLB AT ABOUT 100 FPM. I RADIOED ZZZ TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT BACK TO ZZZ. THEY SUGGESTED USING RWY XX; DIRECT IN APCH. I WAS FURTHER W THAN THAT; SO I DECIDED TO USE RWY YY. ONCE I WAS WITHIN A MI; I RADIOED ZZZ TWR AND REQUESTED LNDG ON RWY YY; THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING ANY RWY WAS MINE. ANOTHER PLT WAS FOLLOWING ME; AND ASSISTED IN HELPING ME LINE UP ON THE CTRLINE. I DROPPED GEAR AT THE LAST MIN; FLARED AND MADE A GOOD LNDG. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY; AND CONTACTED GND. GND CTL SENT A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME BACK TO MY SHADE PORT. THE ASSISTING PLT CAME OVER AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS AN A&P. WE OPENED UP THE COWL; AND TO MY SURPRISE; IT WASN'T A PROP PROB; AS THERE WAS A ROD; A ROD CAP; BEARING AND A LOT OF BROKEN METAL SITTING ON TOP OF MY ENG; AND A GIANT HOLE IN THE TOP OF MY CRANKCASE. THE MECH EXAMINED THE BEARING; AND THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL AND SAID THAT THEY WERE IN NORMAL SHAPE; INDICATION THAT OILING WAS NOT THE PROB. WITH FURTHER INSPECTION THE MECH INDICATED THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY A ROD BOLT FAILURE. THE ENG HAS 382.9 HRS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL. OIL WAS CHANGED AT 382.7 HRS; USING 8 QUARTS OF PHILLIPS 66XL 20W50. OIL ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED AT THE SAME TIME AND WAS NORMAL; WITH NO ABNORMAL METAL FOUND. OIL TESTED HAD 25.7 HRS ON IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.