Narrative:

I was hired to ferry small aircraft's from el reno, ok, to houston for eventual shipment to great britain. The airplanes were in el reno for annual inspections and for preparation of certificate of exports. The route of flight was el reno to waco for fuel and then on to houston. During the fourth trip to houston the engine failed while being vectored to runway 1 at waco. A landing was made in a wheat field. The engine failure was sudden and no warning was given. All attempts to restart were to no avail. I was at 2000'. Conditions of flight were rain, overcast with a northerly wind. The filed was muddy and upon T/D the plane nosed into the ground. At last discussion with the repair station it was determined not to repair the plane because of the cost. I don't know at this writing the cost of repair or the extent of damage other than to say that the nose gear probably broke off completely. The FAA called me the next day to tell me that there was fuel in the tanks. The gauges read 1/4 full on each side. I was told today by the repair station that they drained only a couple of gals out of each tank--what is basically unusable on those planes. It is not clear why, on the seventh trip, the plane would run short of fuel. The WX was IFR, but the trip took the normal amount of time. An update will be provided if, or when, a determination is made. I was also told by the FAA that the airplane had been de-registered even though a registration certificate was on board and that the plane was not IFR certified--that a pitot static check had not been made in the last 24 months as required to certify as an IFR craft. I was also asked to submit copies of log book to verify my IFR currency. The decision to land on the field instead of the 2 available roads was made because they were narrow country roads with telephone lines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA OFF ARPT LNDG DUE FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I WAS HIRED TO FERRY SMA'S FROM EL RENO, OK, TO HOUSTON FOR EVENTUAL SHIPMENT TO GREAT BRITAIN. THE AIRPLANES WERE IN EL RENO FOR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AND FOR PREPARATION OF CERTIFICATE OF EXPORTS. THE ROUTE OF FLT WAS EL RENO TO WACO FOR FUEL AND THEN ON TO HOUSTON. DURING THE FOURTH TRIP TO HOUSTON THE ENG FAILED WHILE BEING VECTORED TO RWY 1 AT WACO. A LNDG WAS MADE IN A WHEAT FIELD. THE ENG FAILURE WAS SUDDEN AND NO WARNING WAS GIVEN. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART WERE TO NO AVAIL. I WAS AT 2000'. CONDITIONS OF FLT WERE RAIN, OVCST WITH A NORTHERLY WIND. THE FILED WAS MUDDY AND UPON T/D THE PLANE NOSED INTO THE GND. AT LAST DISCUSSION WITH THE REPAIR STATION IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO REPAIR THE PLANE BECAUSE OF THE COST. I DON'T KNOW AT THIS WRITING THE COST OF REPAIR OR THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT THE NOSE GEAR PROBABLY BROKE OFF COMPLETELY. THE FAA CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN THE TANKS. THE GAUGES READ 1/4 FULL ON EACH SIDE. I WAS TOLD TODAY BY THE REPAIR STATION THAT THEY DRAINED ONLY A COUPLE OF GALS OUT OF EACH TANK--WHAT IS BASICALLY UNUSABLE ON THOSE PLANES. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHY, ON THE SEVENTH TRIP, THE PLANE WOULD RUN SHORT OF FUEL. THE WX WAS IFR, BUT THE TRIP TOOK THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. AN UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED IF, OR WHEN, A DETERMINATION IS MADE. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE FAA THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DE-REGISTERED EVEN THOUGH A REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WAS ON BOARD AND THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT IFR CERTIFIED--THAT A PITOT STATIC CHK HAD NOT BEEN MADE IN THE LAST 24 MONTHS AS REQUIRED TO CERTIFY AS AN IFR CRAFT. I WAS ALSO ASKED TO SUBMIT COPIES OF LOG BOOK TO VERIFY MY IFR CURRENCY. THE DECISION TO LAND ON THE FIELD INSTEAD OF THE 2 AVAILABLE ROADS WAS MADE BECAUSE THEY WERE NARROW COUNTRY ROADS WITH TELEPHONE LINES.

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.