GA small aircraft engine failure. Emergency off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	102399
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cav
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 126 flight time type : 126
ASRS Report	102399
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed anoka county airport ane at approximately XA40 to webster city, ia. Reached cruise altitude of 3500 leaned fuel mixture. At approximately XD00 the engine quit abruptly with no warning. Went through emergency procedure. Decided emergency landing was needed. Landed on a blacktop road safely but shortly after touchdown the right wing caught a roadsign and threw the plane slightly out of control and into the ditch. No one was hurt, the plane was slightly damaged. It is not known at this time what caused the engine to quit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: still do not know the exact cause of the engine stopping but is known that it was internal engine failure of some type. The FAA is calling this an incident and no action being taken against pilot and case is closed. The aircraft is being repaired but due to engine had to be trucked out, could not be flown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENGINE FAILURE. EMERGENCY OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED ANOKA COUNTY ARPT ANE AT APPROX XA40 TO WEBSTER CITY, IA. REACHED CRUISE ALT OF 3500 LEANED FUEL MIXTURE. AT APPROX XD00 THE ENGINE QUIT ABRUPTLY WITH NO WARNING. WENT THROUGH EMER PROC. DECIDED EMER LNDG WAS NEEDED. LANDED ON A BLACKTOP ROAD SAFELY BUT SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT WING CAUGHT A ROADSIGN AND THREW THE PLANE SLIGHTLY OUT OF CONTROL AND INTO THE DITCH. NO ONE WAS HURT, THE PLANE WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO QUIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: STILL DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ENGINE STOPPING BUT IS KNOWN THAT IT WAS INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE OF SOME TYPE. THE FAA IS CALLING THIS AN INCIDENT AND NO ACTION BEING TAKEN AGAINST PLT AND CASE IS CLOSED. THE ACFT IS BEING REPAIRED BUT DUE TO ENGINE HAD TO BE TRUCKED OUT, COULD NOT BE FLOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.