Emergency off airport forced landing in C-140.

Attributes
ACN	267032
Time
Date	199403
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gai
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 360 agl bound upper : 360
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 140
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1150 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	267032
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was taking off out of gai on one of my last planned touch and go's after about a 1 hour flight practicing stalls and turns in this particular airplane (C140) on takeoff at about 900 ft MSL (airport is 539 MSL) my engine quit and due to the circumstances I was unable and unwilling to try to restart it. I immediately picked a field and headed towards it. In the meantime I pulled carburetor heat played with throttle and checked magnetos. This plane does not have a mixture control. As I was approaching my landing site I shut the fuel off and landed the plane. On the ground I was able to restart the plane sluggishly, then each restart started well. The police helped me taxi the plane back to the airport. The fuel so far has been clean and the oil was full. I don't think carburetor ice was a factor, however, I think that the engine did swallow something. To my understanding the engine was rebuilt 200 hours ago and seemed fine. In my feelings on the matter, it was a freak occurrence and I would fly the airplane again. I am convinced I could get the engine restarted if I were higher. The mechanics have not looked at the plane to find the source of the problem as of yet. The plane and I and my passenger were unharmed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IN C-140.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING OFF OUT OF GAI ON ONE OF MY LAST PLANNED TOUCH AND GO'S AFTER ABOUT A 1 HR FLT PRACTICING STALLS AND TURNS IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE (C140) ON TKOF AT ABOUT 900 FT MSL (ARPT IS 539 MSL) MY ENG QUIT AND DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES I WAS UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO TRY TO RESTART IT. I IMMEDIATELY PICKED A FIELD AND HEADED TOWARDS IT. IN THE MEANTIME I PULLED CARB HEAT PLAYED WITH THROTTLE AND CHKED MAGNETOS. THIS PLANE DOES NOT HAVE A MIXTURE CTL. AS I WAS APCHING MY LNDG SITE I SHUT THE FUEL OFF AND LANDED THE PLANE. ON THE GND I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE PLANE SLUGGISHLY, THEN EACH RESTART STARTED WELL. THE POLICE HELPED ME TAXI THE PLANE BACK TO THE ARPT. THE FUEL SO FAR HAS BEEN CLEAN AND THE OIL WAS FULL. I DON'T THINK CARB ICE WAS A FACTOR, HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THE ENG DID SWALLOW SOMETHING. TO MY UNDERSTANDING THE ENG WAS REBUILT 200 HRS AGO AND SEEMED FINE. IN MY FEELINGS ON THE MATTER, IT WAS A FREAK OCCURRENCE AND I WOULD FLY THE AIRPLANE AGAIN. I AM CONVINCED I COULD GET THE ENG RESTARTED IF I WERE HIGHER. THE MECHS HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE PLANE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROB AS OF YET. THE PLANE AND I AND MY PAX WERE UNHARMED.

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.