NTSB Factual Report

On March 5, 2016, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Taylorcraft BL-65, N22661, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, after it experienced a partial loss of engine power while in cruise flight near St. Petersburg, Florida. The private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed from Manatee Airport, (48X), Palmetto, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the airplane had flown about 10 miles from 48X, when the engine began to run rough, and experienced a 50 percent power reduction. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing, the airplane struck trees and sustained substantial damage to the left wing, which was partially separated from the fuselage.

The airplane was manufactured in 1939 and was equipped with a Lycoming O-145-B2, 65-horsepower engine. Examination of the engine by an FAA inspector revealed that two nuts were missing from the No. 3 cylinder head studs, and a third stud was fractured. The cylinder head and fractured stud were forwarded to the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, for further examination.

Initial review of maintenance records revealed that the engine had been operated for about 20 hours since its most recent inspection, which was performed on October 8, 2015, and included a check of all cylinder head bolts for "tightness."