Narrative:

An small aircraft declared having engine problems 8 mi north of eug. I did not hear the pilot explicitly declare an emergency, however, I was also talking to eug ground and may have missed that. Eug tower proceeded to handle as if an emergency had been declared including asking the pilot for fuel and souls on board, etc. Tower cleared the subject aircraft to land on 34. Winds were light, and this caused the small aircraft to have to fly past the airport on a downwind. The aircraft misjudged his final and had to retract his gear in order to make the field. The tower was calling: 'no gear, no gear'. The small aircraft pilot informed the tower that he couldn't make the field with the gear. The pilot put the gear down on very short final. He landed about 100 ft short of runway in dirt and rolled out onto the runway, then off on a turnoff, before coasting to a stop. Several safety problems exist: 1) the tower should have cleared the aircraft to land on any runway. The slight wind would not have been a factor on runways this long. 2) the tower was not aware that the engine had quit in flight -- they made a radio announcement which indicated that they believed it quit on the taxiway. The pilot should have clearly communicated the engine failure when it occurred. I did not realize that the engine had quit 'some distance out' until I spoke with the pilot. It was not clear from his communications with the tower. This incident ended well, with no damage or injury, however, I don't believe that the ATC folks involved know even now how close this was to a serious incident that at the least, would have meant closure of a major airport runway. The tower, while getting fuel on board, etc, failed to ask if the engine was producing power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OBSERVER CRITICIZES ATC ACTIONS DURING EMER LNDG.

Narrative: AN SMA DECLARED HAVING ENG PROBLEMS 8 MI N OF EUG. I DID NOT HEAR THE PLT EXPLICITLY DECLARE AN EMER, HOWEVER, I WAS ALSO TALKING TO EUG GND AND MAY HAVE MISSED THAT. EUG TWR PROCEEDED TO HANDLE AS IF AN EMER HAD BEEN DECLARED INCLUDING ASKING THE PLT FOR FUEL AND SOULS ON BOARD, ETC. TWR CLRED THE SUBJECT ACFT TO LAND ON 34. WINDS WERE LIGHT, AND THIS CAUSED THE SMA TO HAVE TO FLY PAST THE ARPT ON A DOWNWIND. THE ACFT MISJUDGED HIS FINAL AND HAD TO RETRACT HIS GEAR IN ORDER TO MAKE THE FIELD. THE TWR WAS CALLING: 'NO GEAR, NO GEAR'. THE SMA PLT INFORMED THE TWR THAT HE COULDN'T MAKE THE FIELD WITH THE GEAR. THE PLT PUT THE GEAR DOWN ON VERY SHORT FINAL. HE LANDED ABOUT 100 FT SHORT OF RWY IN DIRT AND ROLLED OUT ONTO THE RWY, THEN OFF ON A TURNOFF, BEFORE COASTING TO A STOP. SEVERAL SAFETY PROBLEMS EXIST: 1) THE TWR SHOULD HAVE CLRED THE ACFT TO LAND ON ANY RWY. THE SLIGHT WIND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR ON RWYS THIS LONG. 2) THE TWR WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE ENG HAD QUIT IN FLT -- THEY MADE A RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH INDICATED THAT THEY BELIEVED IT QUIT ON THE TAXIWAY. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE CLRLY COMMUNICATED THE ENG FAILURE WHEN IT OCCURRED. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ENG HAD QUIT 'SOME DISTANCE OUT' UNTIL I SPOKE WITH THE PLT. IT WAS NOT CLR FROM HIS COMS WITH THE TWR. THIS INCIDENT ENDED WELL, WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURY, HOWEVER, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE ATC FOLKS INVOLVED KNOW EVEN NOW HOW CLOSE THIS WAS TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT THAT AT THE LEAST, WOULD HAVE MEANT CLOSURE OF A MAJOR ARPT RWY. THE TWR, WHILE GETTING FUEL ON BOARD, ETC, FAILED TO ASK IF THE ENG WAS PRODUCING PWR.

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.