Narrative:

First flight of experimental sukhoi SU29, after 5 months of inactivity. Aircraft had current condition inspection. I was acting as safety pilot with dual controls in aircraft, as owner pilot was not current in aircraft. Start up and magneto check normal. Blocked airspace granted 5000 ft MSL to 7000 ft MSL over iag by buffalo approach. Engine within normal limits for 20 mins of this phase. We re-entered pattern for touch and go on runway 24 at iag. Engine normal. At about 500 ft after touch and go takeoff, engine lost power. Climb out went from 3200 FPM to about 100 FPM. We were well past the point of landing on remainder of runway 24. Heavy traffic on runway 28R so we started left turn to join downwind runway 24 as soon as possible. As we were mid downwind 1/4 mi from runway at 800 ft AGL, I called tower to say we needed to land as soon as possible due to engine problems. At this point, we were only maintaining altitude -- engine getting rougher by the second. The tower requested, due to proximity of heavy traffic on short final runway 28R, that we continue on downwind if possible. I took control of aircraft as the engine degraded further, altitude dropping. I judged that, due to poor engine out glide performance (3:1), we needed to turn base now to guarantee a safe landing on runway 24. The KC135 heavy was to be in our way. I was forced to declare an emergency and do a 180 degrees from downwind to final. The tower cleared other traffic and we landed safely. The engine continued to stumble until shutdown on ramp. There were no injuries or near misses with other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIMENTAL SUKHOI SU29 EXPERIENCES ENG PROBS RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG AT IAG.

Narrative: FIRST FLT OF EXPERIMENTAL SUKHOI SU29, AFTER 5 MONTHS OF INACTIVITY. ACFT HAD CURRENT CONDITION INSPECTION. I WAS ACTING AS SAFETY PLT WITH DUAL CTLS IN ACFT, AS OWNER PLT WAS NOT CURRENT IN ACFT. START UP AND MAGNETO CHK NORMAL. BLOCKED AIRSPACE GRANTED 5000 FT MSL TO 7000 FT MSL OVER IAG BY BUFFALO APCH. ENG WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS FOR 20 MINS OF THIS PHASE. WE RE-ENTERED PATTERN FOR TOUCH AND GO ON RWY 24 AT IAG. ENG NORMAL. AT ABOUT 500 FT AFTER TOUCH AND GO TKOF, ENG LOST PWR. CLBOUT WENT FROM 3200 FPM TO ABOUT 100 FPM. WE WERE WELL PAST THE POINT OF LNDG ON REMAINDER OF RWY 24. HVY TFC ON RWY 28R SO WE STARTED L TURN TO JOIN DOWNWIND RWY 24 ASAP. AS WE WERE MID DOWNWIND 1/4 MI FROM RWY AT 800 FT AGL, I CALLED TWR TO SAY WE NEEDED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DUE TO ENG PROBS. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE ONLY MAINTAINING ALT -- ENG GETTING ROUGHER BY THE SECOND. THE TWR REQUESTED, DUE TO PROX OF HVY TFC ON SHORT FINAL RWY 28R, THAT WE CONTINUE ON DOWNWIND IF POSSIBLE. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT AS THE ENG DEGRADED FURTHER, ALT DROPPING. I JUDGED THAT, DUE TO POOR ENG OUT GLIDE PERFORMANCE (3:1), WE NEEDED TO TURN BASE NOW TO GUARANTEE A SAFE LNDG ON RWY 24. THE KC135 HVY WAS TO BE IN OUR WAY. I WAS FORCED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DO A 180 DEGS FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL. THE TWR CLRED OTHER TFC AND WE LANDED SAFELY. THE ENG CONTINUED TO STUMBLE UNTIL SHUTDOWN ON RAMP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR NEAR MISSES WITH OTHER ACFT.

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.