Narrative:

WX report was obtained from FSS. IFR flight plan was filed. Engine was preheated with an engine heater cowl was covered. Plane was kept in a hangar. Preflight was according to checklist and unremarkable (no oil leaks; 8 qts of oil; both tanks full with blue indication; all controls free and correct; etc). Engine started using checklist and fired within a second with no unusual noises or vibrations. Engine continued on turning off the fuel pump. Taxi to run-up area was uneventful. Clearance received from center. Run-up followed checklist and was unremarkable. Slight reduction in rpms with magneto check; slight RPM decline with carburetor heat; oil pressure in green; oil heat on the bottom edge of green; etc; no unusual noises or vibrations. Ground roll and rotation on takeoff was typical and rate of climb was well above specifications for normal atmospheric conditions at approximately 1000 ft per min. This was attributed to cold temperature. The automatic pilot appeared not to hold the desired heading. It was turned off and the heading was flown manually. I leveled off at 7;000 ft; reduced to 2;500 rpms and leaned to 50 degrees below the highest egt temperature (rich of peak). I trimmed for level flight. Speed and power appeared normal for conditions and settings. Nine miles past ZZZ substantial vibrations were felt; the rpms dropped; smoke entered the cabin and oil covered the windscreen. I reported to the center controller and advised that I was initiating a descent to clear the smoke. I also closed vents; I leveled at 5;000 ft. I concluded that the smoke was from oil on the manifold and there was minimal fire threat. The engine remained very rough and at idle rpms. I gave full throttle and full rich for best performance. I followed the engine out checklist (trimmed for 70 KTS; identified a field; switched tanks; full rich; fuel pump on; etc). I initially advised ATC that I was going to land in the selected field and began circling. I entered 'nearest airport' in the garmin 430 and determined that I could glide and use idle power to reach the nearest airport ZZZ. I requested this deviation from ATC and the controller provided clearance to land at ZZZ. I requested vectors from ATC to ZZZ as a backup or confirmation of the garmin heading. He was initially unable due to ZZZ not being on his charts. He later provided the same heading I was flying. I requested wind and runway length from ATC and he provided the information. I indicated that I would descend when the airport was in sight. ATC provided another airplane tail number for relay of down time and condition on landing. I flew over the runway; turned to a short final and made a smooth landing. There was no damage to the airplane other than the engine failure. ATC arranged for emergency personnel to be at the airport on my landing and they assisted towing the plane off of the runway and into a hangar. I reported down and safe to ATC using the relay. The airplane was very well maintained with regular oil changes and within 2 months of annual. Cylinder compressions were all 70 to 73 and oil use was under 3 quarts for 50 hours. All ad's had been addressed. The airplane was made in 1979 and had 1400 hours on the airframe and engine. It had been flown 300 hours in the last two years almost all as one-to-two-hour cross country flts. About 30 hours were accumulated 50 hours previous to the event in flight training. The airplane had been flown by a previous owner less than 100 hours in the 10 years prior to 06/2005 and less than 10 hours in 3 years prior to 06/2005. The same mechanic maintained the plane for the past 20 or more years. Initial inspection on removing the engine indicated free movement of the camshaft; valves; and pistons. One push rod tube and push rod was broken with the push rod bent to a 75 degree angle resting on top of the engine (outside of the missing rod tube). There was just under two quarts of oil remaining in the engine. A maintenance facility received the lycoming O-320-D3G engine for rebuilding. Their initial report by phone was that a valve stuck causing the push rod failure and broken tube. They were unable to identify a cause for the failure. Deepest appreciation is expressed to the controller for providing assistance through clrnces; vectors; runway information; and emergency personnel. He was calm; clear and supportive. His professionalism made the event much easier to manage. It does not appear that the engine failure could have been predicted and the plane was appropriately maintained. Procedures followed by the pilot and supported by ATC were effective in producing a safe landing on a runway surface. There was no damage or injury outside of the initial engine failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT EXPERIENCES ENG FAILURE AT 7000 FT AND LANDS AT NEAREST ARPT WITH HELP FROM ATC.

Narrative: WX RPT WAS OBTAINED FROM FSS. IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED. ENG WAS PREHEATED WITH AN ENG HEATER COWL WAS COVERED. PLANE WAS KEPT IN A HANGAR. PREFLT WAS ACCORDING TO CHKLIST AND UNREMARKABLE (NO OIL LEAKS; 8 QTS OF OIL; BOTH TANKS FULL WITH BLUE INDICATION; ALL CTLS FREE AND CORRECT; ETC). ENG STARTED USING CHKLIST AND FIRED WITHIN A SECOND WITH NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS. ENG CONTINUED ON TURNING OFF THE FUEL PUMP. TAXI TO RUN-UP AREA WAS UNEVENTFUL. CLRNC RECEIVED FROM CTR. RUN-UP FOLLOWED CHKLIST AND WAS UNREMARKABLE. SLIGHT REDUCTION IN RPMS WITH MAGNETO CHK; SLIGHT RPM DECLINE WITH CARBURETOR HEAT; OIL PRESSURE IN GREEN; OIL HEAT ON THE BOTTOM EDGE OF GREEN; ETC; NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS. GROUND ROLL AND ROTATION ON TKOF WAS TYPICAL AND RATE OF CLB WAS WELL ABOVE SPECS FOR NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AT APPROX 1000 FT PER MIN. THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO COLD TEMPERATURE. THE AUTOMATIC PLT APPEARED NOT TO HOLD THE DESIRED HEADING. IT WAS TURNED OFF AND THE HEADING WAS FLOWN MANUALLY. I LEVELED OFF AT 7;000 FT; REDUCED TO 2;500 RPMS AND LEANED TO 50 DEGS BELOW THE HIGHEST EGT TEMPERATURE (RICH OF PEAK). I TRIMMED FOR LEVEL FLT. SPD AND POWER APPEARED NORMAL FOR CONDITIONS AND SETTINGS. NINE MILES PAST ZZZ SUBSTANTIAL VIBRATIONS WERE FELT; THE RPMS DROPPED; SMOKE ENTERED THE CABIN AND OIL COVERED THE WINDSCREEN. I REPORTED TO THE CTR CTLR AND ADVISED THAT I WAS INITIATING A DSCNT TO CLEAR THE SMOKE. I ALSO CLOSED VENTS; I LEVELED AT 5;000 FT. I CONCLUDED THAT THE SMOKE WAS FROM OIL ON THE MANIFOLD AND THERE WAS MINIMAL FIRE THREAT. THE ENG REMAINED VERY ROUGH AND AT IDLE RPMS. I GAVE FULL THROTTLE AND FULL RICH FOR BEST PERFORMANCE. I FOLLOWED THE ENG OUT CHKLIST (TRIMMED FOR 70 KTS; IDENTIFIED A FIELD; SWITCHED TANKS; FULL RICH; FUEL PUMP ON; ETC). I INITIALLY ADVISED ATC THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND IN THE SELECTED FIELD AND BEGAN CIRCLING. I ENTERED 'NEAREST ARPT' IN THE GARMIN 430 AND DETERMINED THAT I COULD GLIDE AND USE IDLE POWER TO REACH THE NEAREST ARPT ZZZ. I REQUESTED THIS DEVIATION FROM ATC AND THE CTLR PROVIDED CLRNC TO LAND AT ZZZ. I REQUESTED VECTORS FROM ATC TO ZZZ AS A BACKUP OR CONFIRMATION OF THE GARMIN HEADING. HE WAS INITIALLY UNABLE DUE TO ZZZ NOT BEING ON HIS CHARTS. HE LATER PROVIDED THE SAME HEADING I WAS FLYING. I REQUESTED WIND AND RWY LENGTH FROM ATC AND HE PROVIDED THE INFO. I INDICATED THAT I WOULD DSND WHEN THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT. ATC PROVIDED ANOTHER AIRPLANE TAIL NUMBER FOR RELAY OF DOWN TIME AND CONDITION ON LANDING. I FLEW OVER THE RWY; TURNED TO A SHORT FINAL AND MADE A SMOOTH LNDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE OTHER THAN THE ENG FAILURE. ATC ARRANGED FOR EMER PERSONNEL TO BE AT THE ARPT ON MY LNDG AND THEY ASSISTED TOWING THE PLANE OFF OF THE RWY AND INTO A HANGAR. I REPORTED DOWN AND SAFE TO ATC USING THE RELAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF ANNUAL. CYLINDER COMPRESSIONS WERE ALL 70 TO 73 AND OIL USE WAS UNDER 3 QUARTS FOR 50 HOURS. ALL AD'S HAD BEEN ADDRESSED. THE AIRPLANE WAS MADE IN 1979 AND HAD 1400 HOURS ON THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE. IT HAD BEEN FLOWN 300 HOURS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ALMOST ALL AS ONE-TO-TWO-HOUR CROSS COUNTRY FLTS. ABOUT 30 HOURS WERE ACCUMULATED 50 HOURS PREVIOUS TO THE EVENT IN FLT TRAINING. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN BY A PREVIOUS OWNER LESS THAN 100 HOURS IN THE 10 YEARS PRIOR TO 06/2005 AND LESS THAN 10 HOURS IN 3 YEARS PRIOR TO 06/2005. THE SAME MECHANIC MAINTAINED THE PLANE FOR THE PAST 20 OR MORE YEARS. INITIAL INSPECTION ON REMOVING THE ENG INDICATED FREE MOVEMENT OF THE CAMSHAFT; VALVES; AND PISTONS. ONE PUSH ROD TUBE AND PUSH ROD WAS BROKEN WITH THE PUSH ROD BENT TO A 75 DEG ANGLE RESTING ON TOP OF THE ENG (OUTSIDE OF THE MISSING ROD TUBE). THERE WAS JUST UNDER TWO QUARTS OF OIL REMAINING IN THE ENG. A MAINT FACILITY RECEIVED THE LYCOMING O-320-D3G ENG FOR REBUILDING. THEIR INITIAL RPT BY PHONE WAS THAT A VALVE STUCK CAUSING THE PUSH ROD FAILURE AND BROKEN TUBE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. DEEPEST APPRECIATION IS EXPRESSED TO THE CTLR FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE THROUGH CLRNCES; VECTORS; RWY INFO; AND EMER PERSONNEL. HE WAS CALM; CLEAR AND SUPPORTIVE. HIS PROFESSIONALISM MADE THE EVENT MUCH EASIER TO MANAGE. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE ENG FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN PREDICTED AND THE PLANE WAS APPROPRIATELY MAINTAINED. PROCS FOLLOWED BY THE PLT AND SUPPORTED BY ATC WERE EFFECTIVE IN PRODUCING A SAFE LNDG ON A RWY SURFACE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY OUTSIDE OF THE INITIAL ENG FAILURE.

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.