Narrative:

The engine on the subject aircraft had just been overhauled and mounted on the aircraft. In 5/89, after the cowling had been buttoned down by the mechanic and his staff, I piloted the aircraft for its break-in flight to seat the rings in the cylinders. The flight was planned for 1 hour, 30 mins; the mechanic and his staff (2 assistant mechanics) were present in the aircraft. The flight conditions were clear, night, ceiling unlimited, visibility greater than 7 mi, cruising altitude was 4500' AGL. There was no concern as to the quality of the work done by the mechanic so it was not unusual to have a night flight. After flying approximately 45 mins with the engine set at 2400 RPM, the engine west/O warning retarded to 1500 RPM our approximate location at the time was 40 DME from efd on the 218 degree right. As I had been monitoring hou approach control, I gave them a call and stated the situation, requesting the location of the nearest airfield. Approach, after assigning a transponder squawk code and identing the aircraft, vectored us to brazoria county airport, which was reported to be 10 mi almost due east from our current location. On approaching brazoria county airport, using a modified base to final approach for landing on runway 17, I reached the approach light portion of the runway when it appeared that I would be short of the runway. Having landed there before I was aware of the road to the east (left) of the approach lights; therefore, in order to avoid the possibility of collision with the approach lights, approximately 400 yds short of the runway. There was no injury to pilot or passenger, nor was there damage to the aircraft or aircraft property. After shutdown the mechanic looked in the cowling and found that the throttle control cable had somehow disconnected thus causing the sudden engine power loss.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE FAILURE ON SINGLE ENGINE SMA. FORCED LNDG AT NIGHT.

Narrative: THE ENG ON THE SUBJECT ACFT HAD JUST BEEN OVERHAULED AND MOUNTED ON THE ACFT. IN 5/89, AFTER THE COWLING HAD BEEN BUTTONED DOWN BY THE MECH AND HIS STAFF, I PILOTED THE ACFT FOR ITS BREAK-IN FLT TO SEAT THE RINGS IN THE CYLINDERS. THE FLT WAS PLANNED FOR 1 HR, 30 MINS; THE MECH AND HIS STAFF (2 ASSISTANT MECHS) WERE PRESENT IN THE ACFT. THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR, NIGHT, CEILING UNLIMITED, VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 7 MI, CRUISING ALT WAS 4500' AGL. THERE WAS NO CONCERN AS TO THE QUALITY OF THE WORK DONE BY THE MECH SO IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE A NIGHT FLT. AFTER FLYING APPROX 45 MINS WITH THE ENG SET AT 2400 RPM, THE ENG W/O WARNING RETARDED TO 1500 RPM OUR APPROXIMATE LOCATION AT THE TIME WAS 40 DME FROM EFD ON THE 218 DEG R. AS I HAD BEEN MONITORING HOU APCH CTL, I GAVE THEM A CALL AND STATED THE SITUATION, REQUESTING THE LOCATION OF THE NEAREST AIRFIELD. APCH, AFTER ASSIGNING A XPONDER SQUAWK CODE AND IDENTING THE ACFT, VECTORED US TO BRAZORIA COUNTY ARPT, WHICH WAS RPTED TO BE 10 MI ALMOST DUE E FROM OUR CURRENT LOCATION. ON APCHING BRAZORIA COUNTY ARPT, USING A MODIFIED BASE TO FINAL APCH FOR LNDG ON RWY 17, I REACHED THE APCH LIGHT PORTION OF THE RWY WHEN IT APPEARED THAT I WOULD BE SHORT OF THE RWY. HAVING LANDED THERE BEFORE I WAS AWARE OF THE ROAD TO THE E (LEFT) OF THE APCH LIGHTS; THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF COLLISION WITH THE APCH LIGHTS, APPROX 400 YDS SHORT OF THE RWY. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO PLT OR PAX, NOR WAS THERE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ACFT PROPERTY. AFTER SHUTDOWN THE MECH LOOKED IN THE COWLING AND FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL CABLE HAD SOMEHOW DISCONNECTED THUS CAUSING THE SUDDEN ENG PWR LOSS.

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.