Pilot of a navion rangemaster, with an io-520 engine, was forced to make an off airport forced landing in a golf course when the engine quit when adding power from cruise to a climb. Fuel vapor lock is suspected as there was sufficient fuel in all tanks and no other mechanical malfunction found during engine examination. Aircraft received damage to the propeller, light and bottom of the fuselage.

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Attributes
ACN	372176
Time
Date	199706
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n53
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Rangemaster (Navion)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 1547 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	372176
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While cruising at 1800 ft MSL, engine quit. Checked magnetos, both on, master on, checked fuel selector ok on main tank, mixture full rich, throttle full power, boost pump on high for 5-10 seconds, trying to restart. Rechked fuel selector ok on main tank. Looking for a landing area. Flaps up to extend glide. Gear up for landing on rough terrain. Emergency landing on shawnee golf course. All 3 passenger and myself uninjured, damage to propeller and underbelly and light. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the actual cause of the engine stoppage had not been found after a full examination of the engine. Fuel vapor lock is suspected. The FAA classified the mishap as an incident due to the relative minor damage to the aircraft, a navion rangemaster.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A NAVION RANGEMASTER, WITH AN IO-520 ENG, WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IN A GOLF COURSE WHEN THE ENG QUIT WHEN ADDING PWR FROM CRUISE TO A CLB. FUEL VAPOR LOCK IS SUSPECTED AS THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL IN ALL TANKS AND NO OTHER MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FOUND DURING ENG EXAM. ACFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROP, LIGHT AND BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT 1800 FT MSL, ENG QUIT. CHKED MAGNETOS, BOTH ON, MASTER ON, CHKED FUEL SELECTOR OK ON MAIN TANK, MIXTURE FULL RICH, THROTTLE FULL PWR, BOOST PUMP ON HIGH FOR 5-10 SECONDS, TRYING TO RESTART. RECHKED FUEL SELECTOR OK ON MAIN TANK. LOOKING FOR A LNDG AREA. FLAPS UP TO EXTEND GLIDE. GEAR UP FOR LNDG ON ROUGH TERRAIN. EMER LNDG ON SHAWNEE GOLF COURSE. ALL 3 PAX AND MYSELF UNINJURED, DAMAGE TO PROP AND UNDERBELLY AND LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE ENG STOPPAGE HAD NOT BEEN FOUND AFTER A FULL EXAMINATION OF THE ENG. FUEL VAPOR LOCK IS SUSPECTED. THE FAA CLASSIFIED THE MISHAP AS AN INCIDENT DUE TO THE RELATIVE MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, A NAVION RANGEMASTER.

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.