SKYARROW PLT EXPERIENCES ENG LOSS AND MAKES FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT IN ABE AIRSPACE.

Narrative

WE TOOK THE ACFT OUT OF THE HANGAR AND COMPLETED A THOROUGH PREFLT. THE FUEL ON BOARD WAS APPROX 15 GALLONS. COLD WX PROCS USED FOR STARTING THE ENG: FULL CHOKE ON START AND A LENGTHY WARM-UP PERIOD OF APPROX 25 MINS. WITH ALL ENG INDICATIONS NORMAL; WE LEFT THE HANGAR AREA AND TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP POINT AT THE END OF RWY 29. A NORMAL ENG RUN-UP WAS COMPLETED AND THE INSTS SET FOR TKOF AND A FINAL CHK OF ALL ENG INDICATIONS TO BE NORMAL. WE DEPARTED ON RWY 29; LEAVING THE TFC PATTERN TURNING AROUND TO THE E; CLBING TO 2000 FT. OUR FIRST INTENDED ARPT FOR LNDG WAS EASTON; PA. APPROX 12 MINS INTO THE FLT WE HEARD AND FELT A VERY LOUD 'THUMP OR BANG.' A FEW SECONDS LATER WE LOST ALL ENG OIL PRESSURE. I LOOKED FOR A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND AND AGAIN; WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE ENG STOPPED OR SEIZED. WE MADE AN APCH TO A FIELD; WHICH APPEARED SUITABLE FOR LNDG. JUST PRIOR TO LNDG; I PULLED THE 'EMER ENG SHUTOFF.' WE LANDED AND STOPPED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ANY INJURIES TO EITHER ONE OF THE PLTS. WE SECURED THE ACFT AND LEFT TO GET HELP. LATER THAT DAY WE RETURNED TO REMOVE THE ACFT FROM THE FIELD. WE REMOVED THE WINGS AND TAIL AND TRUCKED THE ACFT BACK TO OUR HANGAR. AFTER REMOVING THE ENG COWL; WE DISCOVERED THE OIL RESERVOIR RUPTURED; CAUSING THE LOSS OF OIL AND SEIZING THE ENG. REMOVAL OF ENG FROM ACFT IS NEEDED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS ACFT IS AN IMPORT THAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN 'ULTRALIGHT' IN EUROPE; BUT A NORMAL CATEGORY ACFT IN THE UNITED STATES. HE STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE WAS FROZEN WATER IN THE OIL RESERVOIR VENT LINE. THIS BLOCKAGE EVIDENTLY CAUSED THE OIL RESERVOIR TO PRESSURIZE AND RUPTURE. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE ROTAX ENG ON THIS ACFT HAS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 1 OTHER FAILURE FOR THE SAME PROB. A MECH INFORMED THE PLT THAT ROTAX IS AWARE OF THE PROB AND IS INVESTIGATING.