Narrative:

On 5/91, I rented an small aircraft from FBO. Estimated WX: winds 350/15, visibility 10-15 mi, scattered clouds height unknown (estimate 3000-5000'). Runway 35 was in use. The entire flight took place within the traffic pattern and remained below 1600' MSL. During preflight and the runup I noticed no anomalies. Since I was staying in the pattern at goode and performing touch and go's, no flight plan was filed. 3 touch and go's were performed and a full-stop landing. The aircraft performed nominally. I did notice I could not achieve full power (carburetor heat-cold, flaps-up, mixture-rich). Leaning the mixture did not seem to help. I had decided to perform a final takeoff and landing (at the time, the degradation in performance was neither critical, nor a safety factor--it was simply annoying). On takeoff (no flaps), the aircraft was very sluggish. Maximum climb was around 200 FPM. After climbing to a safe altitude, in cruise flight, the maximum airspeed achieved was 50 KTS (flaps up, full throttle, mixture rich, carburetor heat off). Tachometer reading was 2200 RPM's, well below normal. I used approximately 30 degrees of flaps on my approach to final; however, I executed a go around rather than landing (I did not like the looks of the approach). Maximum airspeed on the go around was 40 KTS. We cleared the trees at the end of the runway by approximately 20' as the aircraft would not climb significantly. I extended my takeoff leg to gain as much altitude as I could, then started my crosswind turn. At this point, the aircraft started losing altitude. It became obvious there was no chance of returning to the airport, so I circled in and landed in a pasture heading in a north direction. No injuries resulted to either myself or my passenger. The aircraft was undamaged. The field had some ruts from the wheels of the aircraft (field was grassy and muddy/wet, so the wheels sunk into the ground). Police (4 cars), fire department (2 trucks), emt's (1 intensive care unit), as well as the FAA responded. The FAA did an on-site investigation. The aircraft owner informed me he would tow the aircraft out of the field the following day. In my opinion, the incident was caused by a reduction in power of the engine which could not be corrected in-flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot has not even tried to find out what was wrong with the aircraft, but the FAA is interested and wants to give a check ride. Reporter did not seem to want to talk about the incident, but was interested in why he had not received his identify strip. Suspect this was a technique problem and even with a callback we do not have the full story.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: ON 5/91, I RENTED AN SMA FROM FBO. ESTIMATED WX: WINDS 350/15, VISIBILITY 10-15 MI, SCATTERED CLOUDS HEIGHT UNKNOWN (ESTIMATE 3000-5000'). RWY 35 WAS IN USE. THE ENTIRE FLT TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE TFC PATTERN AND REMAINED BELOW 1600' MSL. DURING PREFLT AND THE RUNUP I NOTICED NO ANOMALIES. SINCE I WAS STAYING IN THE PATTERN AT GOODE AND PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO'S, NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. 3 TOUCH AND GO'S WERE PERFORMED AND A FULL-STOP LNDG. THE ACFT PERFORMED NOMINALLY. I DID NOTICE I COULD NOT ACHIEVE FULL PWR (CARB HEAT-COLD, FLAPS-UP, MIXTURE-RICH). LEANING THE MIXTURE DID NOT SEEM TO HELP. I HAD DECIDED TO PERFORM A FINAL TKOF AND LNDG (AT THE TIME, THE DEGRADATION IN PERFORMANCE WAS NEITHER CRITICAL, NOR A SAFETY FACTOR--IT WAS SIMPLY ANNOYING). ON TKOF (NO FLAPS), THE ACFT WAS VERY SLUGGISH. MAX CLB WAS AROUND 200 FPM. AFTER CLBING TO A SAFE ALT, IN CRUISE FLT, THE MAX AIRSPD ACHIEVED WAS 50 KTS (FLAPS UP, FULL THROTTLE, MIXTURE RICH, CARB HEAT OFF). TACHOMETER READING WAS 2200 RPM'S, WELL BELOW NORMAL. I USED APPROX 30 DEGS OF FLAPS ON MY APCH TO FINAL; HOWEVER, I EXECUTED A GAR RATHER THAN LNDG (I DID NOT LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE APCH). MAX AIRSPD ON THE GAR WAS 40 KTS. WE CLRED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RWY BY APPROX 20' AS THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLB SIGNIFICANTLY. I EXTENDED MY TKOF LEG TO GAIN AS MUCH ALT AS I COULD, THEN STARTED MY XWIND TURN. AT THIS POINT, THE ACFT STARTED LOSING ALT. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF RETURNING TO THE ARPT, SO I CIRCLED IN AND LANDED IN A PASTURE HDG IN A N DIRECTION. NO INJURIES RESULTED TO EITHER MYSELF OR MY PAX. THE ACFT WAS UNDAMAGED. THE FIELD HAD SOME RUTS FROM THE WHEELS OF THE ACFT (FIELD WAS GRASSY AND MUDDY/WET, SO THE WHEELS SUNK INTO THE GND). POLICE (4 CARS), FIRE DEPT (2 TRUCKS), EMT'S (1 INTENSIVE CARE UNIT), AS WELL AS THE FAA RESPONDED. THE FAA DID AN ON-SITE INVESTIGATION. THE ACFT OWNER INFORMED ME HE WOULD TOW THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD THE FOLLOWING DAY. IN MY OPINION, THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A REDUCTION IN PWR OF THE ENG WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED INFLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT HAS NOT EVEN TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ACFT, BUT THE FAA IS INTERESTED AND WANTS TO GIVE A CHK RIDE. RPTR DID NOT SEEM TO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT, BUT WAS INTERESTED IN WHY HE HAD NOT RECEIVED HIS IDENT STRIP. SUSPECT THIS WAS A TECHNIQUE PROB AND EVEN WITH A CALLBACK WE DO NOT HAVE THE FULL STORY.

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.