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Small aircraft legally modified to use car gas experiences engine problems and power loss. Executes a forced landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 134482 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199001 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : co58 |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 134482 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I have an older small aircraft with the engine stc'd for automatic gas. I soloed in 1954 and had this aircraft for 20 yrs. I preflted and filled with gas. I checked for fuel contamination and it checked ok. I took off from firestone airport with a friend, also a pilot, to make a couple of lndgs. At 6500' leveled off and set up for cruise. Checked carburetor heat. Everything checked fine. Flew around the town of firestone, heading back to the airport. About 4 mi out the engine began to backfire. Pushed in mixture control, checked mags and did everything I knew to get the engine running. I had the airport in sight but there were some farm houses near the runway, and decided to put the plane down in a field. Made a good landing and was almost stopped, but I hit a ditch. There were no injuries. We have not been able to check what happened, but I feel it had something to do with the fuel. The FAA checked the fuel for contamination and found none. I for one will fly with aviation gas from now on. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: damage to nose wheel only.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA LEGALLY MODIFIED TO USE CAR GAS EXPERIENCES ENGINE PROBLEMS AND POWER LOSS. EXECUTES A FORCED LNDG.
Narrative: I HAVE AN OLDER SMA WITH THE ENG STC'D FOR AUTO GAS. I SOLOED IN 1954 AND HAD THIS ACFT FOR 20 YRS. I PREFLTED AND FILLED WITH GAS. I CHKED FOR FUEL CONTAMINATION AND IT CHKED OK. I TOOK OFF FROM FIRESTONE ARPT WITH A FRIEND, ALSO A PLT, TO MAKE A COUPLE OF LNDGS. AT 6500' LEVELED OFF AND SET UP FOR CRUISE. CHKED CARB HEAT. EVERYTHING CHKED FINE. FLEW AROUND THE TOWN OF FIRESTONE, HDG BACK TO THE ARPT. ABOUT 4 MI OUT THE ENG BEGAN TO BACKFIRE. PUSHED IN MIXTURE CONTROL, CHKED MAGS AND DID EVERYTHING I KNEW TO GET THE ENG RUNNING. I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT THERE WERE SOME FARM HOUSES NEAR THE RWY, AND DECIDED TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN IN A FIELD. MADE A GOOD LNDG AND WAS ALMOST STOPPED, BUT I HIT A DITCH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CHK WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I FEEL IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL. THE FAA CHKED THE FUEL FOR CONTAMINATION AND FOUND NONE. I FOR ONE WILL FLY WITH AVIATION GAS FROM NOW ON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DAMAGE TO NOSE WHEEL ONLY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.