Primary finding
Probable cause
Unsuitable terrain encountered during a forced landing after an engine cylinder assembly had separated. Factors include a snowbank.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was returning to his agricultural landing strip after applying dry fertilizer on a field. About a mile from the runway, the engine started running rough. Within a half mile of the airport, the engine roughness worsened to the point of total failure. The aircraft would no longer maintain altitude, so the pilot attempted a forced landing in an alfalfa field adjacent to the runway. After touchdown, the aircraft rolled into a snowdrift and nosed over. Investigation revealed that the number seven cylinder had separated from the engine crankcase.
Source record
Factual narrative
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