A cruising PA28-180 suffers the loss of the front left cylinder head which destroyed the cowling and windscreen. Aircraft makes an off airport emergency landing at a race track while diverting to ocf, fl.

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Attributes
ACN	419511
Time
Date	199811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ocf airport : ocf
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : jax
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v159
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 331 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	419511
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft full fuel before takeoff. Obtained 2 WX briefings, one immediately before takeoff, one 2 hours previously. On IFR flight plan from tlh to sua (direct cty V159 vrb direct sua). Takeoff on right tank and climbed to 7000 ft in VFR conditions. Stayed on right tank for 30 mins. Switched to left tank for 30 mins. Near the 009 degree radial of pie where it crosses V159 between cty and ocf, we switched to right tank. Engine immediately ran rough. We switched back to left tank but the engine did not completely return to normal. So mixture rich, boost pump left on, and applied carburetor heat, noticing normal RPM drop. Took carburetor heat off and decided to continue to ocf at 7000 ft and spiral to airport. Shortly thereafter, an explosion in engine compartment, later determined to be left front cylinder, departed the crank case. Cowling broke both windshields and oil entered aircraft. We shut down engine, shut off fuel, squawked 7700 and got 1 mayday off to jax approach. Decision was made to attempt emergency landing on horse race track. Landing was uneventful with no damage attributed to landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRUISING PA28-180 SUFFERS THE LOSS OF THE FRONT L CYLINDER HEAD WHICH DESTROYED THE COWLING AND WINDSCREEN. ACFT MAKES AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG AT A RACE TRACK WHILE DIVERTING TO OCF, FL.

Narrative: ACFT FULL FUEL BEFORE TKOF. OBTAINED 2 WX BRIEFINGS, ONE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE TKOF, ONE 2 HRS PREVIOUSLY. ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM TLH TO SUA (DIRECT CTY V159 VRB DIRECT SUA). TKOF ON R TANK AND CLBED TO 7000 FT IN VFR CONDITIONS. STAYED ON R TANK FOR 30 MINS. SWITCHED TO L TANK FOR 30 MINS. NEAR THE 009 DEG RADIAL OF PIE WHERE IT CROSSES V159 BTWN CTY AND OCF, WE SWITCHED TO R TANK. ENG IMMEDIATELY RAN ROUGH. WE SWITCHED BACK TO L TANK BUT THE ENG DID NOT COMPLETELY RETURN TO NORMAL. SO MIXTURE RICH, BOOST PUMP LEFT ON, AND APPLIED CARB HEAT, NOTICING NORMAL RPM DROP. TOOK CARB HEAT OFF AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO OCF AT 7000 FT AND SPIRAL TO ARPT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AN EXPLOSION IN ENG COMPARTMENT, LATER DETERMINED TO BE L FRONT CYLINDER, DEPARTED THE CRANK CASE. COWLING BROKE BOTH WINDSHIELDS AND OIL ENTERED ACFT. WE SHUT DOWN ENG, SHUT OFF FUEL, SQUAWKED 7700 AND GOT 1 MAYDAY OFF TO JAX APCH. DECISION WAS MADE TO ATTEMPT EMER LNDG ON HORSE RACE TRACK. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DAMAGE ATTRIBUTED TO LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.