Narrative:

I was checking out a pilot to fly the FBO's small aircraft with conventional undercarriage for insurance purposes. We did a stall at 2000' MSL (1400' AGL), after clearing turns and carburetor heat on, then climbed to 3000' MSL, did our clearing turns, carburetor heat on and proceeded into another stall when the propeller stopped turning. We were over a bunch of fields so I figured I had time to restart the engine. I took the controls. I pointed the nose down to try and get the engine going again (the small aircraft has no electrical system, thus no starter). We reached about 100 mph (red line 123 mph) but it only turned half a rotation. We were getting low so I figured I better pick a field. I picked a clear corn field with some muddy fields around it but no houses or trees on it. We were coming down fast but we looked like we'd make it. We touched and shortly after, fell on the airplane's nose. Our right main gear hit the only tree stump in the entire field and was torn off. We both walked away with only a minor cut on my passenger's hand. But it leaves me with two thoughts. First, if you have a nice clear field, try to look a little more critically for that small tree stump hiding in the grass. Yes, we were coming down fast, but you have to remember, it is not your normal clear grass strip. Secondly, when we returned to the airport, some pilots gave us tips on how to get the propeller turning when it stops. Some said that to get the wood propeller turning on our small aircraft, we needed about 130 mph, or at least red line. Whereas a metal propeller would start turning at about 110 mph. Another person said that if you put the plane in a left 30 degree bank and then pull up abruptly like you were going to do a loop, that would get the propeller spinning again. So I suggest, if people are going to fly airplanes west/O electric starters, they should know these tips and maybe even try them in an airplane with an electric starter just to see if it will work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter called and counseled to not attempt the 30 degree bank and yank method to initiate engine rotation or he might well end up with an aircraft in a well developed spin-still with a dead engine. Further, the reporter was counseled to use sufficient altitude and determine precisely at what speed the propeller would windmill. The reporter advised that although the FAA is investigating the incident, they are apparently not proceeding with enforcement action at this time. The aircraft was not seriously damaged, damage being limited to the right main gear and attach points.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON TRAINING FLT IN A TAILDRAGGER WITHOUT A STARTER EXPERIENCE POWER FAILURE, ATTEMPT UNSUCCESSFULLY TO WINDMILL THE PROPELLER, AND DAMAGE THE ACFT IN THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED APCH.

Narrative: I WAS CHKING OUT A PLT TO FLY THE FBO'S SMA WITH CONVENTIONAL UNDERCARRIAGE FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES. WE DID A STALL AT 2000' MSL (1400' AGL), AFTER CLRING TURNS AND CARB HEAT ON, THEN CLBED TO 3000' MSL, DID OUR CLRING TURNS, CARB HEAT ON AND PROCEEDED INTO ANOTHER STALL WHEN THE PROP STOPPED TURNING. WE WERE OVER A BUNCH OF FIELDS SO I FIGURED I HAD TIME TO RESTART THE ENG. I TOOK THE CTLS. I POINTED THE NOSE DOWN TO TRY AND GET THE ENG GOING AGAIN (THE SMA HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS, THUS NO STARTER). WE REACHED ABOUT 100 MPH (RED LINE 123 MPH) BUT IT ONLY TURNED HALF A ROTATION. WE WERE GETTING LOW SO I FIGURED I BETTER PICK A FIELD. I PICKED A CLR CORN FIELD WITH SOME MUDDY FIELDS AROUND IT BUT NO HOUSES OR TREES ON IT. WE WERE COMING DOWN FAST BUT WE LOOKED LIKE WE'D MAKE IT. WE TOUCHED AND SHORTLY AFTER, FELL ON THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. OUR R MAIN GEAR HIT THE ONLY TREE STUMP IN THE ENTIRE FIELD AND WAS TORN OFF. WE BOTH WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY A MINOR CUT ON MY PAX'S HAND. BUT IT LEAVES ME WITH TWO THOUGHTS. FIRST, IF YOU HAVE A NICE CLR FIELD, TRY TO LOOK A LITTLE MORE CRITICALLY FOR THAT SMALL TREE STUMP HIDING IN THE GRASS. YES, WE WERE COMING DOWN FAST, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, IT IS NOT YOUR NORMAL CLR GRASS STRIP. SECONDLY, WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT, SOME PLTS GAVE US TIPS ON HOW TO GET THE PROP TURNING WHEN IT STOPS. SOME SAID THAT TO GET THE WOOD PROP TURNING ON OUR SMA, WE NEEDED ABOUT 130 MPH, OR AT LEAST RED LINE. WHEREAS A METAL PROP WOULD START TURNING AT ABOUT 110 MPH. ANOTHER PERSON SAID THAT IF YOU PUT THE PLANE IN A L 30 DEG BANK AND THEN PULL UP ABRUPTLY LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO DO A LOOP, THAT WOULD GET THE PROP SPINNING AGAIN. SO I SUGGEST, IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FLY AIRPLANES W/O ELECTRIC STARTERS, THEY SHOULD KNOW THESE TIPS AND MAYBE EVEN TRY THEM IN AN AIRPLANE WITH AN ELECTRIC STARTER JUST TO SEE IF IT WILL WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR CALLED AND COUNSELED TO NOT ATTEMPT THE 30 DEG BANK AND YANK METHOD TO INITIATE ENG ROTATION OR HE MIGHT WELL END UP WITH AN ACFT IN A WELL DEVELOPED SPIN-STILL WITH A DEAD ENG. FURTHER, THE RPTR WAS COUNSELED TO USE SUFFICIENT ALT AND DETERMINE PRECISELY AT WHAT SPD THE PROP WOULD WINDMILL. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT, THEY ARE APPARENTLY NOT PROCEEDING WITH ENFORCEMENT ACTION AT THIS TIME. THE ACFT WAS NOT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED, DAMAGE BEING LIMITED TO THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND ATTACH POINTS.

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.