On May 27, 1993, about 0814 eastern daylight time, N8278M, a Cessna 210K, registered to Sarasota Flyers Inc., crashed near Myakka, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and the check pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Sarasota, Florida, about 0801 the same day. The pilot stated that at about 200 feet msl the engine began running rough, smoke was seen in the engine area and the engine failed. A forced landing was executed to a field, and the nose gear and the main landing gear collapsed upon landing. Examination of the engine revealed the No. 2 piston connecting rod had failed. The No. 2 cylinder, piston, and rod were removed from the engine and forwarded to the NTSB laboratory for examination. The laboratory reported the failed connecting rod was damaged to severely to determine the cause of failure.