Off airport precautionary landing in small aircraft when engine was too rough to sustain flight.

Attributes
ACN	116838
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rqz airport : 3m6
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
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 cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1950 flight time type : 670
ASRS Report	116838
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On jul/sun/89 at approximately XA00 pm I was PIC of an small aircraft aircraft. The aircraft was in use at that time as a sky dive jump plane. After deploying all jumpers the aircraft engine began to run 'rough' and failed to produce power adequate for the maintenance of altitude. Emergency procedures executed at this time included: magnetic check, ignition switch check, adjustment of throttle, enrichment of mixture control, monitoring of the cylinder temperature oil temperature/pressure, manifold pressure and tach gauges. All actions failed to restore adequate power. Once committed to a precautionary landing, the boost pumps were turned off and once the flaps were extended to the landing position, the master switch was turned off. The precautionary landing was executed on a five lane paved highway with light vehicle traffic. The landing was completed with the flow of traffic. No personal injury, aircraft damage or property damage was sustained. The aircraft was secured until those responsible for maintenance arrived at the aircraft. A preliminary examination of the fuel taken from lower drains revealed a 'hazy' fuel sample. A second sample contained a visible quantity of what appeared to be water. Preflight inspection of fuel samples did not reveal any water contamination. Fresh fuel was added to the right fuel tank system and considerable samples appeared clean and normal. After receiving the approval of the aircraft owner, maintenance personnel, law enforcement officials, I performed an engine runup and with all systems functioning normally, flew the aircraft from the landing sight. The FAA was notified shortly after the landing by local law enforcement personnel. They stated no report was necessary from me provided their was no personal injury or property damage. I contacted the local FSDO in jul/89 and was told that given the conditions relative to injury or damage, no report was required of me. Subsequent flushing of the aircraft fuel systems revealed no additional contamination and aircraft operation since has been reported as normal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN SMA WHEN ENGINE WAS TOO ROUGH TO SUSTAIN FLT.

Narrative: ON JUL/SUN/89 AT APPROX XA00 PM I WAS PIC OF AN SMA ACFT. THE ACFT WAS IN USE AT THAT TIME AS A SKY DIVE JUMP PLANE. AFTER DEPLOYING ALL JUMPERS THE ACFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN 'ROUGH' AND FAILED TO PRODUCE POWER ADEQUATE FOR THE MAINT OF ALT. EMER PROCS EXECUTED AT THIS TIME INCLUDED: MAG CHECK, IGNITION SWITCH CHECK, ADJUSTMENT OF THROTTLE, ENRICHMENT OF MIXTURE CONTROL, MONITORING OF THE CYLINDER TEMP OIL TEMP/PRESSURE, MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND TACH GAUGES. ALL ACTIONS FAILED TO RESTORE ADEQUATE POWER. ONCE COMMITTED TO A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG, THE BOOST PUMPS WERE TURNED OFF AND ONCE THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO THE LNDG POSITION, THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS EXECUTED ON A FIVE LANE PAVED HWY WITH LIGHT VEHICLE TFC. THE LNDG WAS COMPLETED WITH THE FLOW OF TFC. NO PERSONAL INJURY, ACFT DAMAGE OR PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED. THE ACFT WAS SECURED UNTIL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINT ARRIVED AT THE ACFT. A PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TAKEN FROM LOWER DRAINS REVEALED A 'HAZY' FUEL SAMPLE. A SECOND SAMPLE CONTAINED A VISIBLE QUANTITY OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE WATER. PREFLT INSPECTION OF FUEL SAMPLES DID NOT REVEAL ANY WATER CONTAMINATION. FRESH FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK SYSTEM AND CONSIDERABLE SAMPLES APPEARED CLEAN AND NORMAL. AFTER RECEIVING THE APPROVAL OF THE ACFT OWNER, MAINT PERSONNEL, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, I PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUNUP AND WITH ALL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, FLEW THE ACFT FROM THE LNDG SIGHT. THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED SHORTLY AFTER THE LNDG BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. THEY STATED NO REPORT WAS NECESSARY FROM ME PROVIDED THEIR WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FSDO IN JUL/89 AND WAS TOLD THAT GIVEN THE CONDITIONS RELATIVE TO INJURY OR DAMAGE, NO REPORT WAS REQUIRED OF ME. SUBSEQUENT FLUSHING OF THE ACFT FUEL SYSTEMS REVEALED NO ADDITIONAL CONTAMINATION AND ACFT OPERATION SINCE HAS BEEN REPORTED AS NORMAL.

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.