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!

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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.