Although the official definition of the problem that led to this unfortunate incident will come in time, it is worth noting that piston engine failure in service is statistically much more common than with modern gas turbines. For example, the Wartime Rolls-Royce Merlin engine service life was based on only 33% of engines reaching nominal life and the average engine life at failure being 60% nominal life. Better figures than this for a Merlin sub-type would lead to probable engine service life extension! The engine life we are talking for the Merlin in Transport aircraft at the end of WW2 was around 500 hours. I do not know the Service life of the 2800 in the Convair but, I would guess it is a lot longer than the RR Merlin?
OAP