NTSB Factual Report

On October 12, 2014, about 1350 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151, N57SH, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing near Granville, Massachusetts. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed from Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport (GFL) and was destined for Norwood Memorial Airport (OWD), Norwood, Massachusetts. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, about 20 minutes into the cross country flight, the engine began running roughly. He scanned the engine instruments and noticed that the tachometer was still showing a normal rpm reading, but that the number one cylinder's digital temperature indication graph was blank. Shortly thereafter the engine began losing power, and the pilot advised air traffic control that he intended to divert to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (BAF), Springfield, Massachusetts, located about 20 miles away. Shortly thereafter, the pilot observed the number one cylinder temperature briefly change from no indication, to a full red bar, then back to no indication.

As the engine's power output continued to gradually decrease, the pilot decided to perform a precautionary landing to a farm field below. Approaching the field, the pilot felt that the airplane was too high and too fast for landing, so he performed a go-around in order to approach the field from the opposite direction. During the second landing attempt, the airplane touched down "hard", collapsing the nose landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall.

An examination of the airplane's engine was scheduled for a later date.