Narrative:

Departed rhv with full tanks of fuel (26 gallons). Landed at monterey airport, from monterey airport to carmel valley airstrip, then direct to hwd air terminal. While departing in a right 270 degree turn, climbing through 1800 ft, approximately 5 mi southeast of hwd, the engine lost power. The engine was generating approximately 1/2 power. I checked that the throttle was full on, both magnetos on, master on, primer in and locked, fuel shutoff in 'on' position. I pumped the throttle, then pulled the carburetor heat on. Squawked 7700 and advised hwd terminal. I landed after shutting the engine off on final. I turned off the fuel shutoff, opened the doors. As the plane touched down and slowed on the rollout, the nose gear broke off, and the tip of the right wing hit a tree limb. The hobbs meter indicated 2.4 hours of total time for the flight. Immediate inspection by law enforcement on scene verified fuel in the tanks and gasalator. There was no indication of water contamination. A visual estimate of both fuel tanks appeared 1/3 full in each tank. After the initial power loss, the engine continued to run. It was not surging, nor was it backfiring. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem with the engine has not been determined. The engine lost power at about 1300-1500 ft AGL he estimated. The position of the FAA is that the reporter ran out of fuel. In answer to the fact there was about 8 gallons of fuel on board was, there are 'walk up' service stations in the area. This was in spite of the fact an FAA designated examiner who arrived in a rescue helicopter just after the forced landing to assist in the event of injuries determined there was about 8 gallons of fuel in the tanks. The reporter stated there was very little damage to the airplane. The propeller had stopped at the 3 O'clock position as he side-slipped into the landing area. There was no propeller damage or sudden engine stoppage. The reporter had shut the engine down when he exhausted every attempt to restore adequate power to sustain flight. Also, at that time, when he made up his mind to make the forced landing he turned off all the switches and opened the doors.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT RPTR EXPERIENCES PARTIAL PWR LOSS. RPTR DECLARES EMER AND MAKES FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED RHV WITH FULL TANKS OF FUEL (26 GALLONS). LANDED AT MONTEREY ARPT, FROM MONTEREY ARPT TO CARMEL VALLEY AIRSTRIP, THEN DIRECT TO HWD AIR TERMINAL. WHILE DEPARTING IN A R 270 DEG TURN, CLBING THROUGH 1800 FT, APPROX 5 MI SE OF HWD, THE ENG LOST PWR. THE ENG WAS GENERATING APPROX 1/2 PWR. I CHKED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS FULL ON, BOTH MAGNETOS ON, MASTER ON, PRIMER IN AND LOCKED, FUEL SHUTOFF IN 'ON' POS. I PUMPED THE THROTTLE, THEN PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON. SQUAWKED 7700 AND ADVISED HWD TERMINAL. I LANDED AFTER SHUTTING THE ENG OFF ON FINAL. I TURNED OFF THE FUEL SHUTOFF, OPENED THE DOORS. AS THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND SLOWED ON THE ROLLOUT, THE NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF, AND THE TIP OF THE R WING HIT A TREE LIMB. THE HOBBS METER INDICATED 2.4 HRS OF TOTAL TIME FOR THE FLT. IMMEDIATE INSPECTION BY LAW ENFORCEMENT ON SCENE VERIFIED FUEL IN THE TANKS AND GASALATOR. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF WATER CONTAMINATION. A VISUAL ESTIMATE OF BOTH FUEL TANKS APPEARED 1/3 FULL IN EACH TANK. AFTER THE INITIAL PWR LOSS, THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN. IT WAS NOT SURGING, NOR WAS IT BACKFIRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WITH THE ENG HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE ENG LOST PWR AT ABOUT 1300-1500 FT AGL HE ESTIMATED. THE POS OF THE FAA IS THAT THE RPTR RAN OUT OF FUEL. IN ANSWER TO THE FACT THERE WAS ABOUT 8 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD WAS, THERE ARE 'WALK UP' SVC STATIONS IN THE AREA. THIS WAS IN SPITE OF THE FACT AN FAA DESIGNATED EXAMINER WHO ARRIVED IN A RESCUE HELI JUST AFTER THE FORCED LNDG TO ASSIST IN THE EVENT OF INJURIES DETERMINED THERE WAS ABOUT 8 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PROP HAD STOPPED AT THE 3 O'CLOCK POS AS HE SIDE-SLIPPED INTO THE LNDG AREA. THERE WAS NO PROP DAMAGE OR SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE. THE RPTR HAD SHUT THE ENG DOWN WHEN HE EXHAUSTED EVERY ATTEMPT TO RESTORE ADEQUATE PWR TO SUSTAIN FLT. ALSO, AT THAT TIME, WHEN HE MADE UP HIS MIND TO MAKE THE FORCED LNDG HE TURNED OFF ALL THE SWITCHES AND OPENED THE DOORS.

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.