On February 25, 2025, about 1345 eastern standard time, a Beech E33, N7697N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lenoir, North Carolina. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane’s annual inspection was completed about 3.7 hours before the accident flight. During the annual inspection, the No. 6 cylinder was replaced due to low compression. The pilot subsequently departed from the Anson County Airport (AFP), Wadesboro, North Carolina, to return to his home airport, the Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME), Somerset, Kentucky. About 45 minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of 6,500 ft mean sea level, the pilot noticed the engine rpm increase. The pilot reduced the rpm with the propeller controller, but about 5 minutes later, the rpm increased again. The pilot tried to reduce the rpm again with the propeller control but the second time it would not adjust. He decided not to continue the flight over mountainous terrain, but to land at the closest airport, which was the Hickory Regional Airport (HKY), Hickory, North Carolina. Approximately 5 minutes later, the engine sustained a catastrophic failure, with engine parts exiting from the top of the engine cowling. The pilot glided the airplane to Lower Creek Airport (NC27), Lenoir, North Carolina; however, the airplane was too high and fast and landed long on the grass runway. The airplane skidded off the end of the runway and contacted a fence, substantially damaging the leading edges of both wings. An airframe and powerplant mechanic examined the engine after the accident and found that the oil filter adapter housing was loose, and the gasket appeared to have failed and split open, allowing the oil to leak from the engine. The Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods were fractured from the crankshaft. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection had been completed on January 20, 2025. The airplane had accumulated 4.4 total hours of operation since the inspection. The Federal Aviation Administration issued airworthiness directive (AD) 2022-04-04, Continental Aerospace Technologies, Inc and Continental Motors: Amendment 39-21945, which became effective March 29, 2022. The AD was prompted by reports of two accidents that were the result of power loss due to oil starvation because the oil filter adapter vibrated loose and allowed the oil loss. The AD directed that the fiber gasket removed and replaced with a copper gasket. Review of the accident airplane’s maintenance records revealed no evidence that the AD had been accomplished.