Narrative:

The engine seemed to be running a little rough, but we were flying over the coastal mountain range, and it couldn't be... Engine time 720 hours, annual 9 months ago, all cylinders 79/80. Aircraft was in shop day before, oil, filter, miscellaneous squawks, visual inspection by mechanic and myself. Thorough run up at gillespie field, san diego, (see) was normal. It couldn't be rough... Cylinder temperature normal, egt 50' to rich side, fuel flow normal. ('Maybe I'm a little rich on fuel?...') now I was over hollister and gilroy farmland. Family sleeping. I was 2000' higher than usual (8500') at this fix, as I'm waiting for my VNAV feature (latest toy) to say 'start descent,' then 'bang!!' did gear drop? What broke? Engine? Exhaust? Power (mp) back, emergency squawk and transmit. Handed to center or bay. I advised them of the situation and elected to land at south county (not closest, but well within glide range). Then passing through approximately 6000' MSL still high for straight in to runway 32, the airframe began shaking violently. Fearing that the engine would depart the airframe, I lowered the gear and proceeded to set the aircraft up for an emergency landing on a plowed field. It was at this point I gave up the airfield. From that point many completely lucid decisions were made--fortunately all good ones. Soft field landing, no damage other than the aircraft did to itself! Not quite! In my concern to maintain IFR currency (winger coming up) check cfii before 11/88, postponement by flight instrument 11/88, working out of 2 wallets--where is that physical date?*!, etc. Then sun 11/88 hidden in the wrong fold of the correct wallet lay bad news. Physical date 10/86--I'm 6 days out of license. No insurance! I have fallen into the test question that is asked on every FAA test--and I got right on the test. Recommendations: 1) I had a choice between at least 3 airports within glide range--land at closest. A stabilized situation can always deteriorate. Rule: if it can get worse, it will. 2) set calendar up with key expiration dates of physical flight currency, annual, etc. 3) 121.5 if you need help! Use it! 4) hardest decision: give up field. 5) best decision: give up field (south county).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN FLT ENGINE FAILURE, EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: THE ENG SEEMED TO BE RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH, BUT WE WERE FLYING OVER THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE, AND IT COULDN'T BE... ENG TIME 720 HRS, ANNUAL 9 MONTHS AGO, ALL CYLINDERS 79/80. ACFT WAS IN SHOP DAY BEFORE, OIL, FILTER, MISC SQUAWKS, VISUAL INSPECTION BY MECH AND MYSELF. THOROUGH RUN UP AT GILLESPIE FIELD, SAN DIEGO, (SEE) WAS NORMAL. IT COULDN'T BE ROUGH... CYLINDER TEMP NORMAL, EGT 50' TO RICH SIDE, FUEL FLOW NORMAL. ('MAYBE I'M A LITTLE RICH ON FUEL?...') NOW I WAS OVER HOLLISTER AND GILROY FARMLAND. FAMILY SLEEPING. I WAS 2000' HIGHER THAN USUAL (8500') AT THIS FIX, AS I'M WAITING FOR MY VNAV FEATURE (LATEST TOY) TO SAY 'START DSCNT,' THEN 'BANG!!' DID GEAR DROP? WHAT BROKE? ENG? EXHAUST? PWR (MP) BACK, EMER SQUAWK AND XMIT. HANDED TO CENTER OR BAY. I ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ELECTED TO LAND AT SOUTH COUNTY (NOT CLOSEST, BUT WELL WITHIN GLIDE RANGE). THEN PASSING THROUGH APPROX 6000' MSL STILL HIGH FOR STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 32, THE AIRFRAME BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. FEARING THAT THE ENG WOULD DEPART THE AIRFRAME, I LOWERED THE GEAR AND PROCEEDED TO SET THE ACFT UP FOR AN EMER LNDG ON A PLOWED FIELD. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I GAVE UP THE AIRFIELD. FROM THAT POINT MANY COMPLETELY LUCID DECISIONS WERE MADE--FORTUNATELY ALL GOOD ONES. SOFT FIELD LNDG, NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE ACFT DID TO ITSELF! NOT QUITE! IN MY CONCERN TO MAINTAIN IFR CURRENCY (WINGER COMING UP) CHK CFII BEFORE 11/88, POSTPONEMENT BY FLT INSTR 11/88, WORKING OUT OF 2 WALLETS--WHERE IS THAT PHYSICAL DATE?*!, ETC. THEN SUN 11/88 HIDDEN IN THE WRONG FOLD OF THE CORRECT WALLET LAY BAD NEWS. PHYSICAL DATE 10/86--I'M 6 DAYS OUT OF LICENSE. NO INSURANCE! I HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TEST QUESTION THAT IS ASKED ON EVERY FAA TEST--AND I GOT RIGHT ON THE TEST. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) I HAD A CHOICE BTWN AT LEAST 3 ARPTS WITHIN GLIDE RANGE--LAND AT CLOSEST. A STABILIZED SITUATION CAN ALWAYS DETERIORATE. RULE: IF IT CAN GET WORSE, IT WILL. 2) SET CALENDAR UP WITH KEY EXPIRATION DATES OF PHYSICAL FLT CURRENCY, ANNUAL, ETC. 3) 121.5 IF YOU NEED HELP! USE IT! 4) HARDEST DECISION: GIVE UP FIELD. 5) BEST DECISION: GIVE UP FIELD (SOUTH COUNTY).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.