Off airport forced landing when boeing stearman engine quits due to carburetor icing. There was no a...

Attributes
ACN	522228
Time
Date	200108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mn98.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cae.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Stearman
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	522228
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine power ind other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Weather
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Pleasure flight -- beautiful summer afternoon in a stearman! Took a friend along and had a good time flying over the minnesota summer farmland landscape. Humid day, though, and I think I developed carburetor ice. By the time it became evident, it was too late as the engine lost power almost completely. I used the accelerator pump by pumping the throttle, and that seemed to work as I picked out a field. I was happy I had picked out a field, though, as the engine ultimately quit and I was forced to land. My initial actions (mixture rich, carburetor heat on, check both magnetos and fuel master on) were too little, too late, and we landed in a rough field. The stearman has big tires and great shock absorption (designed as a wwii military trainer), and I credit that with this ending up as an uneventful forced landing with no damage. Had we been in a modern airplane with small wheels, it would have been a different (and sadder) story. Here's the lessons: 1) humid, summer days necessitate periodic carburetor heat! 2) have emergency fields constantly in the front of your mind. 3) if you have to execute a forced landing in rough terrain, do it in a stearman!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WHEN BOEING STEARMAN ENG QUITS DUE TO CARB ICING. THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE OR INJURIES TO THE PLT AND PAX.

Narrative: PLEASURE FLT -- BEAUTIFUL SUMMER AFTERNOON IN A STEARMAN! TOOK A FRIEND ALONG AND HAD A GOOD TIME FLYING OVER THE MINNESOTA SUMMER FARMLAND LANDSCAPE. HUMID DAY, THOUGH, AND I THINK I DEVELOPED CARB ICE. BY THE TIME IT BECAME EVIDENT, IT WAS TOO LATE AS THE ENG LOST PWR ALMOST COMPLETELY. I USED THE ACCELERATOR PUMP BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE, AND THAT SEEMED TO WORK AS I PICKED OUT A FIELD. I WAS HAPPY I HAD PICKED OUT A FIELD, THOUGH, AS THE ENG ULTIMATELY QUIT AND I WAS FORCED TO LAND. MY INITIAL ACTIONS (MIXTURE RICH, CARB HEAT ON, CHK BOTH MAGNETOS AND FUEL MASTER ON) WERE TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, AND WE LANDED IN A ROUGH FIELD. THE STEARMAN HAS BIG TIRES AND GREAT SHOCK ABSORPTION (DESIGNED AS A WWII MIL TRAINER), AND I CREDIT THAT WITH THIS ENDING UP AS AN UNEVENTFUL FORCED LNDG WITH NO DAMAGE. HAD WE BEEN IN A MODERN AIRPLANE WITH SMALL WHEELS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT (AND SADDER) STORY. HERE'S THE LESSONS: 1) HUMID, SUMMER DAYS NECESSITATE PERIODIC CARB HEAT! 2) HAVE EMER FIELDS CONSTANTLY IN THE FRONT OF YOUR MIND. 3) IF YOU HAVE TO EXECUTE A FORCED LNDG IN ROUGH TERRAIN, DO IT IN A STEARMAN!

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.

Off airport forced landing when boeing stearman engine quits due to carburetor icing. There was no aircraft damage or injuries to the pilot and passenger.