At 2100 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power. The private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, he was at 2500 feet when he heard a knocking sound in the engine. He proceeded toward the nearest airport, declared an emergency, and noted that the oil pressure gauge read “0” and the oil temperature gauge was “high.” When the airplane was about five miles south of the airport and at an altitude of 1700 feet, the engine seized. The pilot landed on a private horse farm, colliding with corral fencing before coming to a full stop. Examination of the engine revealed a large hole in the top of the crankcase, and the oil drain line for the #4 cylinder was not connected. The engine logbook revealed that the #2 cylinder had been removed on the day of the accident, which would have required the #4 cylinder oil drain line to be disconnected.
