Narrative:

I flew a VFR flight to ZZZ. The passenger were a young mother and her 1 yr old. I met the passenger at the FBO; obtained a briefing; but the WX forecast was so good I knew I'd just get out of the class bravo airspace and go direct. I completed a preflight; noted nothing unusual; loaded mother and baby; and received clearance. A good start-up; temperatures and flows good; good taxi; good run-up; GPS lock on; radio checks and 6-PACK all ok. Departure -- no problem; cleared out of class B -- no problem; cleared to 8500 ft -- no problem. Nearing inhospitable terrain; I determined to check nearest airports via the GPS and continued to do so every few mins while monitoring the gauges. Again; everything was in the green and good. The terrain became more challenging and I flew a little further west; planning direct to ZZZ. Suddenly there was a muffled 'poof' sound with an immediate decrease in power and the aircraft slowed. I applied full mixture and propeller. No change. I recall scanning the gauges and quickly noting we were going down over nothing but mountainous terrain. I declared an emergency with center; leveled the plane and simultaneously started shallow turn to the east; thinking level terrain was behind. During the turn I pressed the 'nrst' button and happened to glance out my window. Below was ZZZ1. The GPS confirmed ZZZ1 was west at 2 mi. I did not hesitate in reversing the turn. I continued the calls and did not talk to the mother; although as I scanned the area I could see she was distressed. I did not try to restart the engine. My focus was on flying the airplane; judging how to get best aligned with the airport and providing ATC location and position. In 5 mins we lost 5000 ft; while trying to keep enough airspeed to stay aloft and maneuver for a base entry. I completed a series of spirals and aimed for the middle of the runway. I turned a base leg; lowered the gear and flaps. Once on final; I needed crosswind correction and touched down mid-field; immediately on the brakes; slowed down; coasted off on the last exit to the taxiway. It was very quiet; as the propeller stopped. I asked the mother if she and baby were ok. She said yes; and we exited the plane. The lower cowling was covered with oil; not a lot; but enough to notice. On monday my a&P synced up with an FBO. They surmised the camshaft failed resulting in a catastrophic failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 ENG FAILED DURING CRUISE NEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. EMER ARPT WAS LOCATED VIA GPS; AND A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: I FLEW A VFR FLT TO ZZZ. THE PAX WERE A YOUNG MOTHER AND HER 1 YR OLD. I MET THE PAX AT THE FBO; OBTAINED A BRIEFING; BUT THE WX FORECAST WAS SO GOOD I KNEW I'D JUST GET OUT OF THE CLASS BRAVO AIRSPACE AND GO DIRECT. I COMPLETED A PREFLT; NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL; LOADED MOTHER AND BABY; AND RECEIVED CLRNC. A GOOD START-UP; TEMPS AND FLOWS GOOD; GOOD TAXI; GOOD RUN-UP; GPS LOCK ON; RADIO CHKS AND 6-PACK ALL OK. DEP -- NO PROB; CLRED OUT OF CLASS B -- NO PROB; CLRED TO 8500 FT -- NO PROB. NEARING INHOSPITABLE TERRAIN; I DETERMINED TO CHK NEAREST ARPTS VIA THE GPS AND CONTINUED TO DO SO EVERY FEW MINS WHILE MONITORING THE GAUGES. AGAIN; EVERYTHING WAS IN THE GREEN AND GOOD. THE TERRAIN BECAME MORE CHALLENGING AND I FLEW A LITTLE FURTHER W; PLANNING DIRECT TO ZZZ. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A MUFFLED 'POOF' SOUND WITH AN IMMEDIATE DECREASE IN PWR AND THE ACFT SLOWED. I APPLIED FULL MIXTURE AND PROP. NO CHANGE. I RECALL SCANNING THE GAUGES AND QUICKLY NOTING WE WERE GOING DOWN OVER NOTHING BUT MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR; LEVELED THE PLANE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY STARTED SHALLOW TURN TO THE E; THINKING LEVEL TERRAIN WAS BEHIND. DURING THE TURN I PRESSED THE 'NRST' BUTTON AND HAPPENED TO GLANCE OUT MY WINDOW. BELOW WAS ZZZ1. THE GPS CONFIRMED ZZZ1 WAS W AT 2 MI. I DID NOT HESITATE IN REVERSING THE TURN. I CONTINUED THE CALLS AND DID NOT TALK TO THE MOTHER; ALTHOUGH AS I SCANNED THE AREA I COULD SEE SHE WAS DISTRESSED. I DID NOT TRY TO RESTART THE ENG. MY FOCUS WAS ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE; JUDGING HOW TO GET BEST ALIGNED WITH THE ARPT AND PROVIDING ATC LOCATION AND POS. IN 5 MINS WE LOST 5000 FT; WHILE TRYING TO KEEP ENOUGH AIRSPD TO STAY ALOFT AND MANEUVER FOR A BASE ENTRY. I COMPLETED A SERIES OF SPIRALS AND AIMED FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY. I TURNED A BASE LEG; LOWERED THE GEAR AND FLAPS. ONCE ON FINAL; I NEEDED XWIND CORRECTION AND TOUCHED DOWN MID-FIELD; IMMEDIATELY ON THE BRAKES; SLOWED DOWN; COASTED OFF ON THE LAST EXIT TO THE TXWY. IT WAS VERY QUIET; AS THE PROP STOPPED. I ASKED THE MOTHER IF SHE AND BABY WERE OK. SHE SAID YES; AND WE EXITED THE PLANE. THE LOWER COWLING WAS COVERED WITH OIL; NOT A LOT; BUT ENOUGH TO NOTICE. ON MONDAY MY A&P SYNCED UP WITH AN FBO. THEY SURMISED THE CAMSHAFT FAILED RESULTING IN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.