Engines used by light aircraft are:
mostly horizontally opposed in their cylinder configuration
typically air cooled (although some have water cooled cylinder heads)
mostly either four or six cylinder (although some have two cylinders, e.g. Rotax 500 series)
mostly four stroke (with the exception of the Rotax 500 series of engines)
typically less than 200 hp engine output.
Most aircraft in this set use factory-built engines designed specifically for use in aircraft, however, a small number of aircraft use modified automobile engines.
Thirteen engine manufacturers were represented in the 322 engine failure or malfunction occurrences (see Figure 2). However, just four manufacturers made up 94.1 per cent of the entire set. These were:
Jabiru (40.4%, 130 occurrences)
Rotax (27.0%, 87 occurrences)
Textron Lycoming (18.0%, 58 occurrences)
Continental Motors (8.7%, 28 occurrences).
The remaining 5.9 per cent (19 occurrences) were made up of nine different engine manufacturers (and one unknown engine manufacturer). The remainder of the analysis will focus on the four aforementioned engine manufacturers.
Figure 2: The distribution of engine manufacturers represented in the set of light aircraft that had an engine failure or malfunction between 2009 and 2014. Although thirteen engine manufacturers are represented, just four make up the vast majority (94.1 %) of the set.
Taking into account the number of aircraft on both the CASA and RAAus registers and the number of aircraft involved in the above data, this represents an engine failure or malfunction occurrence in the study period in about:
Case Study: Engine failure near Amberley Aerodrome, Qld, on 28 October 2013. ATSB occurrence reference number 201312960
While cruising at 1,000 ft on a flight from Coominya to Emu Gully, Qld, the Skyfox aircraft experienced engine difficulties followed by a total engine failure. The pilot conducted an emergency landing into a paddock. During landing the pilot lost control during a cross-wind. The left wing tip struck the ground after which the aircraft landed heavily and slid along the ground for about 50 metres, resulting in substantial damage. Damage was caused to the landing gear, engine cowling, fuselage, flaps and propeller. 
Wreckage of the Skyfox Source: Reporter
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