Carburetor failure leads to forced landing for antique biplane.

Attributes
ACN	145926
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ok5
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 4
ASRS Report	145926
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

When the aircraft was subjected to negative G's, the engine stopped. All attempts to restart the engine failed. A landing was made in a corn stubble field and the problem was diagnosed as a stuck carburetor float since gas flowing freely from the air intake. No damage to person or property were incurred. The carburetor was repaired and the aircraft was flown out of the field west/O further incident. This carburetor will be removed from the aircraft and returned to an FAA repair station for further evaluation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that the cause of the carburetor failure was found to be a missing o-ring, and that the overhaul facility that had overhauled the carburetor immediately prior to this incident admitted to error on their part. The FAA is not pursuing the matter. The reporter's aircraft, an antique biplane, was not damaged in the forced landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARBURETOR FAILURE LEADS TO FORCED LNDG FOR ANTIQUE BIPLANE.

Narrative: WHEN THE ACFT WAS SUBJECTED TO NEGATIVE G'S, THE ENG STOPPED. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG FAILED. A LNDG WAS MADE IN A CORN STUBBLE FIELD AND THE PROB WAS DIAGNOSED AS A STUCK CARB FLOAT SINCE GAS FLOWING FREELY FROM THE AIR INTAKE. NO DAMAGE TO PERSON OR PROPERTY WERE INCURRED. THE CARB WAS REPAIRED AND THE ACFT WAS FLOWN OUT OF THE FIELD W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS CARB WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AND RETURNED TO AN FAA REPAIR STATION FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CARB FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE A MISSING O-RING, AND THAT THE OVERHAUL FAC THAT HAD OVERHAULED THE CARB IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT ADMITTED TO ERROR ON THEIR PART. THE FAA IS NOT PURSUING THE MATTER. THE RPTR'S ACFT, AN ANTIQUE BIPLANE, WAS NOT DAMAGED IN THE FORCED LNDG.

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.