Narrative:

I was the PIC and the PF when we experienced a catastrophic engine failure on the #1 engine. We were approaching our top of climb at 9200 ft en route to ZZZ1. Both engines were running normally and well within limitations when; without warning; the left engine quit. We experienced a sudden yaw to the left and an immediate master warning for oil pressure. I corrected for the bad engine; leveled the aircraft and began the engine failure above V1 checklist. I observed that the left propeller had already (almost instantly) stopped and feathered. We completed the emergency checklist and decided to land at the nearest airport which was ZZZ. At this point in the flight we had plenty of time to assess our situation; and we observed that all engine functions and indications had completely stopped. First officer had done a great job with assisting with the checklist and began to brief the 17 passenger. While he was doing that; I notified our dispatch office of our situation and intentions. We had plenty of time and a nice VFR day and were in a slow spiraling descent and were able to keep constant communications with dispatch; the station and maintenance. At about 4000 ft we began the before landing checklist and briefed the passenger. We had already observed the easterly surface winds and knew that runway 9 was our best course of action. We entered a right downwind for runway 9 and flew a conservative pattern. We had the field made and landed on runway 9 without incident or injury. We made the first turn around area and cleared the runway to the best of our ability. Unable to taxi on 1 engine; the first officer and I assisted with the offloading of our passenger and their safety when transportation was on the way. The aircraft and all of the passenger were unharmed and the entire situation was handled in a calm and professional manner. All checklists applicable to the situation were used and completed and passenger safety was the highest concern. The cause of the failure is still unknown. The engine; fresh out of hot section; gave no indication of problems prior to the failure. As with any emergency; as a pilot my first job is to never stop flying. Flying the airplane first and taking care of everything else when my time and situational awareness allows made this emergency an easy; relaxed event that had a good end result.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C73 MALLARD PLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE NEAR TOP OF CLB; DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST FIELD.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC AND THE PF WHEN WE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE ON THE #1 ENG. WE WERE APCHING OUR TOP OF CLB AT 9200 FT ENRTE TO ZZZ1. BOTH ENGS WERE RUNNING NORMALLY AND WELL WITHIN LIMITATIONS WHEN; WITHOUT WARNING; THE L ENG QUIT. WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN YAW TO THE L AND AN IMMEDIATE MASTER WARNING FOR OIL PRESSURE. I CORRECTED FOR THE BAD ENG; LEVELED THE ACFT AND BEGAN THE ENG FAILURE ABOVE V1 CHKLIST. I OBSERVED THAT THE L PROP HAD ALREADY (ALMOST INSTANTLY) STOPPED AND FEATHERED. WE COMPLETED THE EMER CHKLIST AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHICH WAS ZZZ. AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ASSESS OUR SIT; AND WE OBSERVED THAT ALL ENG FUNCTIONS AND INDICATIONS HAD COMPLETELY STOPPED. FO HAD DONE A GREAT JOB WITH ASSISTING WITH THE CHKLIST AND BEGAN TO BRIEF THE 17 PAX. WHILE HE WAS DOING THAT; I NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH OFFICE OF OUR SIT AND INTENTIONS. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME AND A NICE VFR DAY AND WERE IN A SLOW SPIRALING DSCNT AND WERE ABLE TO KEEP CONSTANT COMS WITH DISPATCH; THE STATION AND MAINT. AT ABOUT 4000 FT WE BEGAN THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND BRIEFED THE PAX. WE HAD ALREADY OBSERVED THE EASTERLY SURFACE WINDS AND KNEW THAT RWY 9 WAS OUR BEST COURSE OF ACTION. WE ENTERED A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9 AND FLEW A CONSERVATIVE PATTERN. WE HAD THE FIELD MADE AND LANDED ON RWY 9 WITHOUT INCIDENT OR INJURY. WE MADE THE FIRST TURN AROUND AREA AND CLRED THE RWY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. UNABLE TO TAXI ON 1 ENG; THE FO AND I ASSISTED WITH THE OFFLOADING OF OUR PAX AND THEIR SAFETY WHEN TRANSPORTATION WAS ON THE WAY. THE ACFT AND ALL OF THE PAX WERE UNHARMED AND THE ENTIRE SIT WAS HANDLED IN A CALM AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER. ALL CHKLISTS APPLICABLE TO THE SIT WERE USED AND COMPLETED AND PAX SAFETY WAS THE HIGHEST CONCERN. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS STILL UNKNOWN. THE ENG; FRESH OUT OF HOT SECTION; GAVE NO INDICATION OF PROBS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. AS WITH ANY EMER; AS A PLT MY FIRST JOB IS TO NEVER STOP FLYING. FLYING THE AIRPLANE FIRST AND TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE WHEN MY TIME AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ALLOWS MADE THIS EMER AN EASY; RELAXED EVENT THAT HAD A GOOD END RESULT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 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.