Narrative:

The flight started with a preflight. The oil level was 12 quarts, the fuel levels were 11 gals in right tank and 7 gals in the left tank. With a planned flight of 0.5 hours, 18 gals gave me fuel for flight plus reserve. I made the climb to 9500 ft AGL. Jumpers exited the aircraft. During the descent with the propeller at 2450 RPM, mixture rich, descending at 155 mph, at 6000 ft AGL engine quit. I turned toward airport and applied carburetor heat. I leveled wings and double-checked fuel selector on both, then slowed descent to 130-140 KTS. The aircraft began running again at 5300 ft AGL. I continued the descent and entered left downwind for runway 34 at vinton with everything normal. As I turned base to final, the engine quit. My approach angle looked like I had a good chance to make the airport and the runway. As I continued the approach, I considered the line of trees, the home on the hill and the road all between me and a landing at the airport. I still had a bean field under and ahead of me. I decided the safe thing for me, the possible occupants of the home, and the aircraft was to land in the field. I turned to 270 degree heading which insured no obstacles ahead of me. I then landed without any injury to myself or the aircraft. There was 8 gals fuel remaining in the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying an early model C182. The mechanic that checked the aircraft jumped to the conclusion that the fuel was trapped in the front part of the tanks with the fuel pickups to the rear of the tanks. The reporter made no mention of clearing his engine while descending, and his narrative stated that he put the carburetor heat on after being well into his descent. The FAA investigated this incident and took no action against the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN.

Narrative: THE FLT STARTED WITH A PREFLT. THE OIL LEVEL WAS 12 QUARTS, THE FUEL LEVELS WERE 11 GALS IN R TANK AND 7 GALS IN THE L TANK. WITH A PLANNED FLT OF 0.5 HRS, 18 GALS GAVE ME FUEL FOR FLT PLUS RESERVE. I MADE THE CLB TO 9500 FT AGL. JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT. DURING THE DSCNT WITH THE PROP AT 2450 RPM, MIXTURE RICH, DSNDING AT 155 MPH, AT 6000 FT AGL ENG QUIT. I TURNED TOWARD ARPT AND APPLIED CARB HEAT. I LEVELED WINGS AND DOUBLE-CHKED FUEL SELECTOR ON BOTH, THEN SLOWED DSCNT TO 130-140 KTS. THE ACFT BEGAN RUNNING AGAIN AT 5300 FT AGL. I CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND ENTERED L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34 AT VINTON WITH EVERYTHING NORMAL. AS I TURNED BASE TO FINAL, THE ENG QUIT. MY APCH ANGLE LOOKED LIKE I HAD A GOOD CHANCE TO MAKE THE ARPT AND THE RWY. AS I CONTINUED THE APCH, I CONSIDERED THE LINE OF TREES, THE HOME ON THE HILL AND THE ROAD ALL BTWN ME AND A LNDG AT THE ARPT. I STILL HAD A BEAN FIELD UNDER AND AHEAD OF ME. I DECIDED THE SAFE THING FOR ME, THE POSSIBLE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOME, AND THE ACFT WAS TO LAND IN THE FIELD. I TURNED TO 270 DEG HDG WHICH INSURED NO OBSTACLES AHEAD OF ME. I THEN LANDED WITHOUT ANY INJURY TO MYSELF OR THE ACFT. THERE WAS 8 GALS FUEL REMAINING IN THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING AN EARLY MODEL C182. THE MECH THAT CHKED THE ACFT JUMPED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE FUEL WAS TRAPPED IN THE FRONT PART OF THE TANKS WITH THE FUEL PICKUPS TO THE REAR OF THE TANKS. THE RPTR MADE NO MENTION OF CLRING HIS ENG WHILE DSNDING, AND HIS NARRATIVE STATED THAT HE PUT THE CARB HEAT ON AFTER BEING WELL INTO HIS DSCNT. THE FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AND TOOK NO ACTION AGAINST THE RPTR.

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.