Forced landing for small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	152878
Time
Date	199007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hef airport : w10
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	152878
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent into manassas airport my engine quit on my small aircraft. We were at 1500' MSL at the time. I knew I could not make manassas and since we had just flown over fauquier county airport I immediately executed a climbing 180 degree turn after which I realized that fauquier was also too far. I then looked westbound to highway 29 (a 4 lane highway), but it too was out of range. I ruled out highway 28 just underneath us because it was 2 lane and the chance of a conflict with automatic traffic too great. The last option was a large hayfield paralleling highway 28 so I set up a fast base. We landed and then I realized there was a ditch in our immediate roll out path. I had full flaps extended, but as we approached the ditch at the last second I yanked the manual flap handle beyond its normal fourth notch. The additional lift created was enough to just barely balloon the plane to clear the ditch and saved us from cartwheeling. The only damage sustained was the left landing strut was slightly bent. At ths time we are investigating as to why the engine quit, though a cursory assumption is fuel starvation (though by the fuel logs this should not have been the case).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG FOR SMA.

Narrative: ON DSNT INTO MANASSAS ARPT MY ENG QUIT ON MY SMA. WE WERE AT 1500' MSL AT THE TIME. I KNEW I COULD NOT MAKE MANASSAS AND SINCE WE HAD JUST FLOWN OVER FAUQUIER COUNTY ARPT I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A CLBING 180 DEG TURN AFTER WHICH I REALIZED THAT FAUQUIER WAS ALSO TOO FAR. I THEN LOOKED WBND TO HWY 29 (A 4 LANE HIGHWAY), BUT IT TOO WAS OUT OF RANGE. I RULED OUT HWY 28 JUST UNDERNEATH US BECAUSE IT WAS 2 LANE AND THE CHANCE OF A CONFLICT WITH AUTO TFC TOO GREAT. THE LAST OPTION WAS A LARGE HAYFIELD PARALLELING HWY 28 SO I SET UP A FAST BASE. WE LANDED AND THEN I REALIZED THERE WAS A DITCH IN OUR IMMEDIATE ROLL OUT PATH. I HAD FULL FLAPS EXTENDED, BUT AS WE APCHED THE DITCH AT THE LAST SECOND I YANKED THE MANUAL FLAP HANDLE BEYOND ITS NORMAL FOURTH NOTCH. THE ADDITIONAL LIFT CREATED WAS ENOUGH TO JUST BARELY BALLOON THE PLANE TO CLR THE DITCH AND SAVED US FROM CARTWHEELING. THE ONLY DAMAGE SUSTAINED WAS THE L LNDG STRUT WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. AT THS TIME WE ARE INVESTIGATING AS TO WHY THE ENG QUIT, THOUGH A CURSORY ASSUMPTION IS FUEL STARVATION (THOUGH BY THE FUEL LOGS THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE).

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.