IN FLT ENGINE FAILURE; EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative

THE ENG SEEMED TO BE RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH; BUT WE WERE FLYING OVER THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE; AND IT COULDN'T BE... ENG TIME 720 HRS; ANNUAL 9 MONTHS AGO; ALL CYLINDERS 79/80. ACFT WAS IN SHOP DAY BEFORE; OIL; FILTER; MISC SQUAWKS; VISUAL INSPECTION BY MECH AND MYSELF. THOROUGH RUN UP AT GILLESPIE FIELD; SAN DIEGO; (SEE) WAS NORMAL. IT COULDN'T BE ROUGH... CYLINDER TEMP NORMAL; EGT 50' TO RICH SIDE; FUEL FLOW NORMAL. ('MAYBE I'M A LITTLE RICH ON FUEL?...') NOW I WAS OVER HOLLISTER AND GILROY FARMLAND. FAMILY SLEEPING. I WAS 2000' HIGHER THAN USUAL (8500') AT THIS FIX; AS I'M WAITING FOR MY VNAV FEATURE (LATEST TOY) TO SAY 'START DSCNT;' THEN 'BANG!!' DID GEAR DROP? WHAT BROKE? ENG? EXHAUST? PWR (MP) BACK; EMER SQUAWK AND XMIT. HANDED TO CENTER OR BAY. I ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ELECTED TO LAND AT SOUTH COUNTY (NOT CLOSEST; BUT WELL WITHIN GLIDE RANGE). THEN PASSING THROUGH APPROX 6000' MSL STILL HIGH FOR STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 32; THE AIRFRAME BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. FEARING THAT THE ENG WOULD DEPART THE AIRFRAME; I LOWERED THE GEAR AND PROCEEDED TO SET THE ACFT UP FOR AN EMER LNDG ON A PLOWED FIELD. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I GAVE UP THE AIRFIELD. FROM THAT POINT MANY COMPLETELY LUCID DECISIONS WERE MADE--FORTUNATELY ALL GOOD ONES. SOFT FIELD LNDG; NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE ACFT DID TO ITSELF! NOT QUITE! IN MY CONCERN TO MAINTAIN IFR CURRENCY (WINGER COMING UP) CHK CFII BEFORE 11/88; POSTPONEMENT BY FLT INSTR 11/88; WORKING OUT OF 2 WALLETS--WHERE IS THAT PHYSICAL DATE?*!; ETC. THEN SUN 11/88 HIDDEN IN THE WRONG FOLD OF THE CORRECT WALLET LAY BAD NEWS. PHYSICAL DATE 10/86--I'M 6 DAYS OUT OF LICENSE. NO INSURANCE! I HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TEST QUESTION THAT IS ASKED ON EVERY FAA TEST--AND I GOT RIGHT ON THE TEST. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) I HAD A CHOICE BTWN AT LEAST 3 ARPTS WITHIN GLIDE RANGE--LAND AT CLOSEST. A STABILIZED SITUATION CAN ALWAYS DETERIORATE. RULE: IF IT CAN GET WORSE; IT WILL. 2) SET CALENDAR UP WITH KEY EXPIRATION DATES OF PHYSICAL FLT CURRENCY; ANNUAL; ETC. 3) 121.5 IF YOU NEED HELP! USE IT! 4) HARDEST DECISION: GIVE UP FIELD. 5) BEST DECISION: GIVE UP FIELD (SOUTH COUNTY).