Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from ral to ful in an small aircraft. About 15 mi from ful the engine stopped running. I attempted a restart with on success and had to make an off airport landing. Once on the ground, I was able to restart the engine west/O adding any additional fuel. There was no injury to myself or anyone on the ground and there was no property damage. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is not certain as to what caused the engine to stop. As he was only 1500' above the ground, he had little time to thoroughly troubleshoot and landed in a good field west/O any damage to the aircraft. He had just called the tower, so advised them he was making an emergency landing. Tower called emergency vehs and the FAA who appeared on the scene. A start up was successful and aircraft flown off field. The inspection revealed about 6 gals of fuel in each tank. Aircraft had been preflted properly and all sumps were drained properly. Aircraft is back in owner's hands (reporter is a prospective buyer) for a 100 hour inspection. Reporter feels that this was fuel contamination. Engine restarted on same tank when engine had stopped. Reporter feels fortunate that the air start didn't work as he would have pulled up and into high tension lines that were not apparent to him until under them when approaching into field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORCED LNDG ACCOMPLISHED AFTER SMA HAS ENGINE FAILURE JUST AFTER CALLING TWR FOR POSITION AND CLRNC TO APCH LAND AT FUL.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM RAL TO FUL IN AN SMA. ABOUT 15 MI FROM FUL THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING. I ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITH ON SUCCESS AND HAD TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LNDG. ONCE ON THE GND, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG W/O ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL FUEL. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO MYSELF OR ANYONE ON THE GND AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS NOT CERTAIN AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE ENG TO STOP. AS HE WAS ONLY 1500' ABOVE THE GND, HE HAD LITTLE TIME TO THOROUGHLY TROUBLESHOOT AND LANDED IN A GOOD FIELD W/O ANY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. HE HAD JUST CALLED THE TWR, SO ADVISED THEM HE WAS MAKING AN EMER LNDG. TWR CALLED EMER VEHS AND THE FAA WHO APPEARED ON THE SCENE. A START UP WAS SUCCESSFUL AND ACFT FLOWN OFF FIELD. THE INSPECTION REVEALED ABOUT 6 GALS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. ACFT HAD BEEN PREFLTED PROPERLY AND ALL SUMPS WERE DRAINED PROPERLY. ACFT IS BACK IN OWNER'S HANDS (RPTR IS A PROSPECTIVE BUYER) FOR A 100 HR INSPECTION. RPTR FEELS THAT THIS WAS FUEL CONTAMINATION. ENG RESTARTED ON SAME TANK WHEN ENG HAD STOPPED. RPTR FEELS FORTUNATE THAT THE AIR START DIDN'T WORK AS HE WOULD HAVE PULLED UP AND INTO HIGH TENSION LINES THAT WERE NOT APPARENT TO HIM UNTIL UNDER THEM WHEN APCHING INTO FIELD.

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.