Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff from ZZZ I heard a loud bang come from the engine. I was approximately 250 ft AGL at the time. I also felt and heard a power loss in the engine. I noticed that I had not lost complete power and immediately executed a right turn back toward the airport. My decision to turn back toward the airport instead of landing straight ahead was that my engine was still producing enough power to maintain positive control of the aircraft while executing the turn. I took off from runway X and turned around and landed on runway Z. There was another pilot in the other control seat of the aircraft; who took over radio communication while I focused on flying the aircraft. He declared an emergency with the tower; and we made a landing on the intersecting runway. The airplane stopped on the runway and smoke started filling the cabin. I immediately shut off the engine and the fuel; notified tower that we were evacing the plane; and came out of the plane onto the runway. Earlier I flew the airplane from ZZZ1 airport and made an uneventful flight and landing to ZZZ. I topped off the plane in ZZZ and was going to head back south for some more flying. The engine inspection and run up was normal without anything unusual or out of ordinary. The engine was inspected and ran up both at ZZZ1 airport before the flight to ZZZ and at ZZZ just prior to takeoff. All gauges and indications were also normal even during the incident. I noticed during the emergency landing that the oil level started dropping. Previously the engine oil was verified to be in the proper range. I don't believe that there was anything I could have done to prevent this occurrence. The postflt inspection revealed that one of the cylinders in the engine had cracked open. I did however realize how much of a help it was to have another pilot in the airplane handling some of the burden while I flew the airplane. It was an invaluable to have that kind of assistance while at 250 ft AGL with a critical situation on your hands. I also believe that my decision to turn around while the airplane was still producing power was prudent because it allowed for a landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: post flight revealed that a cylinder head had separated from one cylinder causing the power loss. It is likely that the engine would have continued to run until oil loss caused complete failure. No reason could be found for the head to separate as it did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT REPORTS POWER LOSS AT 250 FEET AGL ON DEPARTURE AND IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO LAND ON INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF FROM ZZZ I HEARD A LOUD BANG COME FROM THE ENG. I WAS APPROX 250 FT AGL AT THE TIME. I ALSO FELT AND HEARD A PWR LOSS IN THE ENG. I NOTICED THAT I HAD NOT LOST COMPLETE PWR AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A R TURN BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. MY DECISION TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE ARPT INSTEAD OF LNDG STRAIGHT AHEAD WAS THAT MY ENG WAS STILL PRODUCING ENOUGH PWR TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE EXECUTING THE TURN. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY X AND TURNED AROUND AND LANDED ON RWY Z. THERE WAS ANOTHER PLT IN THE OTHER CTL SEAT OF THE ACFT; WHO TOOK OVER RADIO COM WHILE I FOCUSED ON FLYING THE ACFT. HE DECLARED AN EMER WITH THE TWR; AND WE MADE A LNDG ON THE INTERSECTING RWY. THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ON THE RWY AND SMOKE STARTED FILLING THE CABIN. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENG AND THE FUEL; NOTIFIED TWR THAT WE WERE EVACING THE PLANE; AND CAME OUT OF THE PLANE ONTO THE RWY. EARLIER I FLEW THE AIRPLANE FROM ZZZ1 ARPT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL FLT AND LNDG TO ZZZ. I TOPPED OFF THE PLANE IN ZZZ AND WAS GOING TO HEAD BACK S FOR SOME MORE FLYING. THE ENG INSPECTION AND RUN UP WAS NORMAL WITHOUT ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR OUT OF ORDINARY. THE ENG WAS INSPECTED AND RAN UP BOTH AT ZZZ1 ARPT BEFORE THE FLT TO ZZZ AND AT ZZZ JUST PRIOR TO TKOF. ALL GAUGES AND INDICATIONS WERE ALSO NORMAL EVEN DURING THE INCIDENT. I NOTICED DURING THE EMER LNDG THAT THE OIL LEVEL STARTED DROPPING. PREVIOUSLY THE ENG OIL WAS VERIFIED TO BE IN THE PROPER RANGE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE. THE POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE CYLINDERS IN THE ENG HAD CRACKED OPEN. I DID HOWEVER REALIZE HOW MUCH OF A HELP IT WAS TO HAVE ANOTHER PLT IN THE AIRPLANE HANDLING SOME OF THE BURDEN WHILE I FLEW THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS AN INVALUABLE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE WHILE AT 250 FT AGL WITH A CRITICAL SITUATION ON YOUR HANDS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT MY DECISION TO TURN AROUND WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL PRODUCING PWR WAS PRUDENT BECAUSE IT ALLOWED FOR A LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POST FLIGHT REVEALED THAT A CYLINDER HEAD HAD SEPARATED FROM ONE CYLINDER CAUSING THE POWER LOSS. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL OIL LOSS CAUSED COMPLETE FAILURE. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THE HEAD TO SEPARATE AS IT DID.

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.