After over 45 years of flying it finally happened. In a friend's C-182. We were just out of gliding range to the nearest airport when the engine started to fail. Luckily it held together and produced enough power to make the field. The engine seized about 1 mile out. No oil left in it. Texas Skyways boat anchor now.

Whoa.....glad it held together....how many hours on the case...?

About 800 on a 2500 TBO. Not sure at this point if the engine grenaded before or after loss of oil. No oil on windshield until after it seized. Onset of roughness was abrupt.

Airdave100 wrote:Whoa.....glad it held together....how many hours on the case...?

Great job making it back safely with no injuries. Must have been pretty scary at 1000 feel AGL I have been thinking about these catastrophic engine failures a lot lately and if there is any way they can be prevented. I am curious if you had any type of advanced engine monitor in the airplane? Also if there were any recent oil analysis done?

A teardown report would be interesting.
Cracks in the case look like something came apart (big time!) inside the case.
Maybe it threw the (forward) counterweights?
Location seems about right.

Good job gettin’ her down!

Well done!

You saved the day, and the insurance company!

This brings up a question.

Lets say the same thing happened but the airplane was totaled in an off-airport landing.

Would the insurance also cover a new motor?

If there is no damage to the airframe then the owner pays for the new motor.

And new underwear.

Been there and done that. Good job getting in down. It's amazing how quickly things happen when the fan stops turning, like profusely sweating.

They would prorate the engine.

Mountain Doctor wrote:Well done!

You saved the day, and the insurance company!

This brings up a question.

Lets say the same thing happened but the airplane was totaled in an off-airport landing.

Would the insurance also cover a new motor?

If there is no damage to the airframe then the owner pays for the new motor.

And new underwear.

Glad you guys made it down unscathed!

Glad you made it in safely. But what little PTSD I have from my own similar experience 15 1/2 years ago suddenly came back as I read your account. I had thought of going flying this afternoon. Nope, not today.

I'd had my airplane about 15 hours when I was in the process of returning to the airport for an appointment after practicing commercial maneuvers. I was at about 1000' AGL after a descending spiral. I noticed the oil pressure dropping, but in a classic case of denial, I was certain the OEM oil pressure gauge must be wonky. But I came back on the power anyway, with the thought of babying it to the airport some 5 miles away and started looking for a place to set down. Suddenly the engine sped up (lack of oil pressure to the CS prop governor), so I pulled back everything. Then there was this god-awful shaking as the engine threw a rod--a brief thought was that the engine would come loose from its mounts--and the cabin filled with oil smoke.

I had thought to land on a country road I'd just crossed and had already lowered the flaps to 20 as if on downwind to the road, when I realized that a powerline was too close--I'd likely hit a wingtip on a power pole. So I looked to the right, and that field looked too soft. I looked to the left, and that field was doable. But by now I was getting pretty low, maybe 5-600' AGL, as I turned toward that field--and that powerline was between me and the field. So I lowered the nose, retracted the flaps, and aimed for the powerline. I pulled back enough to clear it, dropped 40 flaps, and made the best soft field landing of my life.

Results: no airframe damage, just cracked wheel pants from vibrating on the field. The engine was toast. Apparently a bearing had spun, depriving the rod of oil. The only salvageable parts were the oil cooler (after being overhauled), the intake system, and the exhaust system (since replaced). Everything else was replaced by Aircraft Cylinders & Engines. That was about 900-1000 hours ago.

Insurance paid only for the removal of the airplane from the field. I had AIG at the time, and they took over 3 months to make the payment. So when they wanted to nearly double my premium the following year, I dumped them for AVEMCO, which I've stayed with ever since--half the premium, much better coverage.

I admit to having become complacent--I'd flown maybe 1800-2000 hours by then with nary an engine problem, but since then, I spend a lot of time looking for places to set down--not paranoia, but wiser concern.

Cary

My one in thirteen that happened above 200' AGL was the same as Cary's. Rod bearing turned and loose (not lose) piston rod beat everything to death. Too much time to think. I knew I owned the engine with no hull damage, was a poor teacher and weekend warrior, and momentarily considered hooking the only tree on the road south of Santa Domingo Pueblo with a wing.

The nice thing about low altitude forced landing is that the survivable landing zone is immediately apparent and it is all over before you have time to worry about it. It is critical to be spring loaded to the failure, however. It is a six second deal. We can afford zero seconds accepting the failure. Energy management turn to the survivable landing zone must be immediate. Wing must be levelled going over obstructions into the landing zone. Slow and careful turning to medium or less bank angle generally won't make the landing zone. We're better when we move.

Great job getting back in one piece [emoji1360]