Narrative:

I was a student pilot of approximately 17 total flight hours conducting my first solo flight outside the traffic pattern. In the practice area at approximately 2000' AGL, the engine began to run rough and lose power. As the end result, I was forced to land the aircraft in a field approximately 15 NM from the clarksburg, wv airport, with the aircraft suffering minor damage, primarily to the nose gear; I was unhurt. I performed a preflight inspection of this aircraft, and attempted an engine start. After several mins of an unsuccessful attempt to start the engine, another student noticed a small fire in the vicinity of the air intake of this aircraft. I continued to crank the engine, which immediately started, while simultaneously two mechanics ran to the aircraft with a fire extinguisher. The fire was extinguished by the engine start, but I shut down the engine and secured the aircraft immediately after engine start. The mechanics examined the aircraft briefly and pronounced the aircraft 'airworthy'. I again started this aircraft, and taxied to the runway in preparation for takeoff. During the engine runup magnetic check, the ignition switch appeared not to operate properly, i.e., when switching to check mags, the key needed to be carefully positioned to achieve any indication of a proper drop of RPM. After repeating this check at least four times, and each time achieving a normal, consistent drop of RPM, I concluded everything was operating normally and concluded my engine runup and pretkof checklist. After takeoff, I proceeded to the tygart lake practice area. While conducting normal airwork training maneuvers at approximately 3500' to 4500' MSL, the engine started to 'run rough', exhibiting a slight loss of RPM with an occasional 'miss'. I applied full carburetor heat, and started to climb at 80 KIAS, while turning the aircraft toward the clarksburg airport. The engine continued to lose RPM, now dropping to 2000 RPM. I attempted to lean the mixture, and immediately experienced a large drop of RPM, down to 1200 RPM. I then enrichened the mixture to achieve best RPM, a down setting of approximately 'full rich', and continued toward the clarksburg airport. Level at 4000' MSL, I slightly reduced the carburetor heat, approximately 1/4 in or 80% hot, and the engine increased RPM slightly, up to 2100 RPM. Continuing toward the clarksburg airport, and now over tygart lake, the engine quickly dropped RPM to approximately 1000 RPM, then surged between 1000 and 1500 RPM. I applied full throttle, adjusted the carburetor heat to 'full hot', and varied the mixture, all with no change in performance. The act was losing altitude, and I immediately advised clarksburg ATC tower of my emergency, and located an emergency landing field within gliding distance. Proceeding to the emergency landing field, the engine continued to lose RPM, surging now between 800 and 1000 RPM. All this time the carburetor heat was 'full hot', the mixture 'full rich' and the throttle 'full open', all with no effect. During this gliding descent, I noticed a smell of smoke, similar to the smell encountered earlier during the engine fire. On short final approach to the emergency landing field, I adjusted the throttle to 'idle', verified carburetor heat 'full hot' and extended full flaps. As I started to flare, the engine suddenly surged to approximately 2200 RPM, even though the throttle was at idle. At this surge, I then opened the throttle, and attempted to keep the engine running and fly the aircraft. Seeking lower terrain, I turned the aircraft to the right, when suddenly the engine stopped (the propeller completely stopped). I was very close to the ground, so I straightened the aircraft from the turn, flared the aircraft and landed in the field. Due to the steep gradient of the terrain, the aircraft nose impacted first, resulting in damage to the nose gear, and the aircraft nosed down and tilted vertical momentarily, eventually falling back in a normal position, slightly bending the left wing in the process. The propeller was not bent. I secured the aircraft, and left the aircraft to notify the clarksburg ATC tower, company, and emergency personnel. In retrospect, the cause appears to have been carburetor-ice. Even though I applied carburetor-heat, it appears to have been 'too little, too late'. My altitude of approximately 2000' AGL didnot allow enough time for the carburetor-heat to melt the ice, or the carburetor-heat was not hot enough, due to lengthy maneuvers at low power settings. I would highly recommend all soloed students be thoroughly familiar with all aspects of carburetor-ice, and all remedial actions available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE PROBLEMS LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE AND FORCED LNDG FOR STUDENT PLT.

Narrative: I WAS A STUDENT PLT OF APPROX 17 TOTAL FLT HRS CONDUCTING MY FIRST SOLO FLT OUTSIDE THE TFC PATTERN. IN THE PRACTICE AREA AT APPROX 2000' AGL, THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE PWR. AS THE END RESULT, I WAS FORCED TO LAND THE ACFT IN A FIELD APPROX 15 NM FROM THE CLARKSBURG, WV ARPT, WITH THE ACFT SUFFERING MINOR DAMAGE, PRIMARILY TO THE NOSE GEAR; I WAS UNHURT. I PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION OF THIS ACFT, AND ATTEMPTED AN ENG START. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO START THE ENG, ANOTHER STUDENT NOTICED A SMALL FIRE IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIR INTAKE OF THIS ACFT. I CONTINUED TO CRANK THE ENG, WHICH IMMEDIATELY STARTED, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY TWO MECHS RAN TO THE ACFT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE ENG START, BUT I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND SECURED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENG START. THE MECHS EXAMINED THE ACFT BRIEFLY AND PRONOUNCED THE ACFT 'AIRWORTHY'. I AGAIN STARTED THIS ACFT, AND TAXIED TO THE RWY IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. DURING THE ENG RUNUP MAG CHK, THE IGNITION SWITCH APPEARED NOT TO OPERATE PROPERLY, I.E., WHEN SWITCHING TO CHK MAGS, THE KEY NEEDED TO BE CAREFULLY POSITIONED TO ACHIEVE ANY INDICATION OF A PROPER DROP OF RPM. AFTER REPEATING THIS CHK AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, AND EACH TIME ACHIEVING A NORMAL, CONSISTENT DROP OF RPM, I CONCLUDED EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND CONCLUDED MY ENG RUNUP AND PRETKOF CHKLIST. AFTER TKOF, I PROCEEDED TO THE TYGART LAKE PRACTICE AREA. WHILE CONDUCTING NORMAL AIRWORK TRNING MANEUVERS AT APPROX 3500' TO 4500' MSL, THE ENG STARTED TO 'RUN ROUGH', EXHIBITING A SLIGHT LOSS OF RPM WITH AN OCCASIONAL 'MISS'. I APPLIED FULL CARB HEAT, AND STARTED TO CLB AT 80 KIAS, WHILE TURNING THE ACFT TOWARD THE CLARKSBURG ARPT. THE ENG CONTINUED TO LOSE RPM, NOW DROPPING TO 2000 RPM. I ATTEMPTED TO LEAN THE MIXTURE, AND IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED A LARGE DROP OF RPM, DOWN TO 1200 RPM. I THEN ENRICHENED THE MIXTURE TO ACHIEVE BEST RPM, A DOWN SETTING OF APPROX 'FULL RICH', AND CONTINUED TOWARD THE CLARKSBURG ARPT. LEVEL AT 4000' MSL, I SLIGHTLY REDUCED THE CARB HEAT, APPROX 1/4 IN OR 80% HOT, AND THE ENG INCREASED RPM SLIGHTLY, UP TO 2100 RPM. CONTINUING TOWARD THE CLARKSBURG ARPT, AND NOW OVER TYGART LAKE, THE ENG QUICKLY DROPPED RPM TO APPROX 1000 RPM, THEN SURGED BTWN 1000 AND 1500 RPM. I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE, ADJUSTED THE CARB HEAT TO 'FULL HOT', AND VARIED THE MIXTURE, ALL WITH NO CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE. THE ACT WAS LOSING ALT, AND I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED CLARKSBURG ATC TWR OF MY EMER, AND LOCATED AN EMER LNDG FIELD WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE. PROCEEDING TO THE EMER LNDG FIELD, THE ENG CONTINUED TO LOSE RPM, SURGING NOW BTWN 800 AND 1000 RPM. ALL THIS TIME THE CARB HEAT WAS 'FULL HOT', THE MIXTURE 'FULL RICH' AND THE THROTTLE 'FULL OPEN', ALL WITH NO EFFECT. DURING THIS GLIDING DSCNT, I NOTICED A SMELL OF SMOKE, SIMILAR TO THE SMELL ENCOUNTERED EARLIER DURING THE ENG FIRE. ON SHORT FINAL APCH TO THE EMER LNDG FIELD, I ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE TO 'IDLE', VERIFIED CARB HEAT 'FULL HOT' AND EXTENDED FULL FLAPS. AS I STARTED TO FLARE, THE ENG SUDDENLY SURGED TO APPROX 2200 RPM, EVEN THOUGH THE THROTTLE WAS AT IDLE. AT THIS SURGE, I THEN OPENED THE THROTTLE, AND ATTEMPTED TO KEEP THE ENG RUNNING AND FLY THE ACFT. SEEKING LOWER TERRAIN, I TURNED THE ACFT TO THE R, WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENG STOPPED (THE PROP COMPLETELY STOPPED). I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE GND, SO I STRAIGHTENED THE ACFT FROM THE TURN, FLARED THE ACFT AND LANDED IN THE FIELD. DUE TO THE STEEP GRADIENT OF THE TERRAIN, THE ACFT NOSE IMPACTED FIRST, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, AND THE ACFT NOSED DOWN AND TILTED VERTICAL MOMENTARILY, EVENTUALLY FALLING BACK IN A NORMAL POS, SLIGHTLY BENDING THE L WING IN THE PROCESS. THE PROP WAS NOT BENT. I SECURED THE ACFT, AND LEFT THE ACFT TO NOTIFY THE CLARKSBURG ATC TWR, COMPANY, AND EMER PERSONNEL. IN RETROSPECT, THE CAUSE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CARB-ICE. EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED CARB-HEAT, IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN 'TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE'. MY ALT OF APPROX 2000' AGL DIDNOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR THE CARB-HEAT TO MELT THE ICE, OR THE CARB-HEAT WAS NOT HOT ENOUGH, DUE TO LENGTHY MANEUVERS AT LOW PWR SETTINGS. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL SOLOED STUDENTS BE THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH ALL ASPECTS OF CARB-ICE, AND ALL REMEDIAL ACTIONS AVAILABLE.

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.