Narrative:

After calculating winds and distances I figured it would take 5 hours to climb out and cruise to gfz. Based on past performance figure at this altitude I knew I had 6 hours fuel on board. I then proceeded to do a walk around preflight. During preflight I checked fuel for water and to make sure the plane had been topped off by visually looking in the tanks. I found no water or contamination in any of the sumps and found the tanks to be topped off. I then went and got friend D and friend east and we loaded up the plane and started on our way. I followed the filed flight plan to mzv where I was cleared direct to gfz by quad city approach. Later chicago cleared me direct dsm, direct gfz. Upon reaching dsm I noticed that the ground speed had slowed from 91 KTS to 83 KTS. I knew this was going to add some time but I was still within my fuel reserves and would have 50 mins fuel remaining. At 20 mi out I started to descend from 6000' at 200-300 FPM. At 10 mi out I was 4800'. I had airport in sight and cancelled IFR. At 5 mi out I was at around 2800' and prelndg checklist was completed. Shortly after that was when the engine began to cough and started to quit. I had friend east change fuel tanks and I pushed mixture to full rich. During attempts to restart, the engine relit twice and I thought I would make it to the airport, but it did not keep running. I made the decision to land in the grass below. This grass area was the only smooth landing area among plowed fields. After clearing the powerlines and lining up with the field I added full flaps and landed. On landing, just as it appeared we were going to stop, the right main gear seemed to have collapsed and we skidded sideways to a stop. No one was hurt and we all got out of the plane and walked to the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: FAA has investigated incident and calling the cause of engine failure fuel starvation, although have not determined why could not get fuel as there was fuel in tank flight crew was attempting restart on. Found no contamination, but are checking the fuel pump for malfunction. Does not expect any action against crew by FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENGINE FAILURE. EMERGENCY OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER CALCULATING WINDS AND DISTANCES I FIGURED IT WOULD TAKE 5 HRS TO CLB OUT AND CRUISE TO GFZ. BASED ON PAST PERFORMANCE FIGURE AT THIS ALT I KNEW I HAD 6 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. I THEN PROCEEDED TO DO A WALK AROUND PREFLT. DURING PREFLT I CHKED FUEL FOR WATER AND TO MAKE SURE THE PLANE HAD BEEN TOPPED OFF BY VISUALLY LOOKING IN THE TANKS. I FOUND NO WATER OR CONTAMINATION IN ANY OF THE SUMPS AND FOUND THE TANKS TO BE TOPPED OFF. I THEN WENT AND GOT FRIEND D AND FRIEND E AND WE LOADED UP THE PLANE AND STARTED ON OUR WAY. I FOLLOWED THE FILED FLT PLAN TO MZV WHERE I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO GFZ BY QUAD CITY APCH. LATER CHICAGO CLRED ME DIRECT DSM, DIRECT GFZ. UPON REACHING DSM I NOTICED THAT THE GND SPD HAD SLOWED FROM 91 KTS TO 83 KTS. I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO ADD SOME TIME BUT I WAS STILL WITHIN MY FUEL RESERVES AND WOULD HAVE 50 MINS FUEL REMAINING. AT 20 MI OUT I STARTED TO DSND FROM 6000' AT 200-300 FPM. AT 10 MI OUT I WAS 4800'. I HAD ARPT IN SIGHT AND CANCELLED IFR. AT 5 MI OUT I WAS AT AROUND 2800' AND PRELNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WAS WHEN THE ENG BEGAN TO COUGH AND STARTED TO QUIT. I HAD FRIEND E CHANGE FUEL TANKS AND I PUSHED MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. DURING ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, THE ENG RELIT TWICE AND I THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT TO THE ARPT, BUT IT DID NOT KEEP RUNNING. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND IN THE GRASS BELOW. THIS GRASS AREA WAS THE ONLY SMOOTH LNDG AREA AMONG PLOWED FIELDS. AFTER CLRING THE POWERLINES AND LINING UP WITH THE FIELD I ADDED FULL FLAPS AND LANDED. ON LNDG, JUST AS IT APPEARED WE WERE GOING TO STOP, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SEEMED TO HAVE COLLAPSED AND WE SKIDDED SIDEWAYS TO A STOP. NO ONE WAS HURT AND WE ALL GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND WALKED TO THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FAA HAS INVESTIGATED INCIDENT AND CALLING THE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE FUEL STARVATION, ALTHOUGH HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHY COULD NOT GET FUEL AS THERE WAS FUEL IN TANK FLT CREW WAS ATTEMPTING RESTART ON. FOUND NO CONTAMINATION, BUT ARE CHKING THE FUEL PUMP FOR MALFUNCTION. DOES NOT EXPECT ANY ACTION AGAINST CREW BY FAA.

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.