BE33 pilot landed in ditch after engine failure.

Attributes
ACN	499760
Time
Date	200101
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ael.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dsm.tower
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 101 flight time total : 4483 flight time type : 3571
ASRS Report	499760
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Leaving albert lea airport, mn, going to windom, mn. At 3000 ft MSL the engine quit (rod came through case). I tried to find a private strip indicated by GPS 1 mi north of my position, but it was covered with snow (not visible). Winds were quite strong from the south, so the north/south highway below seemed the next best spot. As I got down above the road, there was a bridge right in front of me I couldn't get over or avoid, so dropped into the ditch just north of the bridge. Because of the gusty south winds, my touchdown speed was very slow. I had no injuries and the plane seemed undamaged, but inspection the next day revealed gear door damage from the snow (ditch was level full of snow), and possible keel damage. The io-52088 engine (1143 smoh) had a hole through top of case and the right magneto broken off. No report has been sent to NTSB, because no damage estimate has been completed as of this date.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33 PLT LANDED IN DITCH AFTER ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: LEAVING ALBERT LEA ARPT, MN, GOING TO WINDOM, MN. AT 3000 FT MSL THE ENG QUIT (ROD CAME THROUGH CASE). I TRIED TO FIND A PVT STRIP INDICATED BY GPS 1 MI N OF MY POS, BUT IT WAS COVERED WITH SNOW (NOT VISIBLE). WINDS WERE QUITE STRONG FROM THE S, SO THE N/S HWY BELOW SEEMED THE NEXT BEST SPOT. AS I GOT DOWN ABOVE THE ROAD, THERE WAS A BRIDGE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME I COULDN'T GET OVER OR AVOID, SO DROPPED INTO THE DITCH JUST N OF THE BRIDGE. BECAUSE OF THE GUSTY S WINDS, MY TOUCHDOWN SPD WAS VERY SLOW. I HAD NO INJURIES AND THE PLANE SEEMED UNDAMAGED, BUT INSPECTION THE NEXT DAY REVEALED GEAR DOOR DAMAGE FROM THE SNOW (DITCH WAS LEVEL FULL OF SNOW), AND POSSIBLE KEEL DAMAGE. THE IO-52088 ENG (1143 SMOH) HAD A HOLE THROUGH TOP OF CASE AND THE R MAGNETO BROKEN OFF. NO RPT HAS BEEN SENT TO NTSB, BECAUSE NO DAMAGE ESTIMATE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS OF THIS DATE.

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.