Narrative:

I departed ptk (pontiac, mi) for a local flight. Proceeded in a northeasterly direction. Performed some slow flight maneuvers. Decided to land at 37G (almont, mi) which lay to the northeast (23 NM from ptk). My altitude was 3500 ft MSL, and visibility was excellent, so the airport was easy to see almost 10 mi out. Approached from the southwest and made an almost direct entry into a left downwind for paved runway 22. Had started descent late, entered downwind high. Descended with engine back near idle for over a min. Added 25 degrees flaps when speed lowered. Almost adjacent to the threshold of runway 22 added throttle and engine balked. A few pops but no thrust. I immediately decided to make an emergency landing on grass runway 27, due to my favorable position almost on a base leg, considering my slow and dirty confign, and already in a descent. I confirmed that boost pump was on and that the mixture was rich, however, I felt it too dangerous to complete the emergency checklist. I had to concentrate on flying the plane. (The fuel selection lever on the bird dog is high and to the left. The magneto switch is directly in front of the stick.) touchdown on runway 27 was made under control. The plane rolled out into a soft area and, with very little forward speed, the plane slowly nosed over onto the propeller, which was still rotating. Other facts: I had received WX from the automated recordings at the FSS at lansing. I had not received NOTAMS on the fact that runway 27 was closed due to softness, but I was already aware of spring conditions from our excessively wet spring, 20 yrs of flying into this airport, and the fact that there was virtually a lake of water on the western half of the runway, clearly visible. Under the circumstances, I felt that I had no choice. At this moment, no cause for the power loss has been determined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C305 HAS ENG FAILURE DURING PATTERN ENTRY. EMER LNDG ON GRASS FIELD WHICH IS WET AND SOFT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PTK (PONTIAC, MI) FOR A LCL FLT. PROCEEDED IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. PERFORMED SOME SLOW FLT MANEUVERS. DECIDED TO LAND AT 37G (ALMONT, MI) WHICH LAY TO THE NE (23 NM FROM PTK). MY ALT WAS 3500 FT MSL, AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT, SO THE ARPT WAS EASY TO SEE ALMOST 10 MI OUT. APCHED FROM THE SW AND MADE AN ALMOST DIRECT ENTRY INTO A L DOWNWIND FOR PAVED RWY 22. HAD STARTED DSCNT LATE, ENTERED DOWNWIND HIGH. DSNDED WITH ENG BACK NEAR IDLE FOR OVER A MIN. ADDED 25 DEGS FLAPS WHEN SPD LOWERED. ALMOST ADJACENT TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 22 ADDED THROTTLE AND ENG BALKED. A FEW POPS BUT NO THRUST. I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG ON GRASS RWY 27, DUE TO MY FAVORABLE POS ALMOST ON A BASE LEG, CONSIDERING MY SLOW AND DIRTY CONFIGN, AND ALREADY IN A DSCNT. I CONFIRMED THAT BOOST PUMP WAS ON AND THAT THE MIXTURE WAS RICH, HOWEVER, I FELT IT TOO DANGEROUS TO COMPLETE THE EMER CHKLIST. I HAD TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE PLANE. (THE FUEL SELECTION LEVER ON THE BIRD DOG IS HIGH AND TO THE L. THE MAGNETO SWITCH IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE STICK.) TOUCHDOWN ON RWY 27 WAS MADE UNDER CTL. THE PLANE ROLLED OUT INTO A SOFT AREA AND, WITH VERY LITTLE FORWARD SPD, THE PLANE SLOWLY NOSED OVER ONTO THE PROP, WHICH WAS STILL ROTATING. OTHER FACTS: I HAD RECEIVED WX FROM THE AUTOMATED RECORDINGS AT THE FSS AT LANSING. I HAD NOT RECEIVED NOTAMS ON THE FACT THAT RWY 27 WAS CLOSED DUE TO SOFTNESS, BUT I WAS ALREADY AWARE OF SPRING CONDITIONS FROM OUR EXCESSIVELY WET SPRING, 20 YRS OF FLYING INTO THIS ARPT, AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS VIRTUALLY A LAKE OF WATER ON THE WESTERN HALF OF THE RWY, CLRLY VISIBLE. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I FELT THAT I HAD NO CHOICE. AT THIS MOMENT, NO CAUSE FOR THE POWER LOSS HAS BEEN DETERMINED.

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.