Narrative:

The aircraft was preflted by myself, in accordance with regulations and the poh. The preflight did include a check of the fuel supply both visually and with use of a measuring stick. Both fuel tanks appeared to be half full, and the measuring stick was wet with fuel up to the halfway point between the top of the wetline and top of the fuel tank. I determined that there were at least 12 gallons of fuel in the tanks. I further checked the amount of fuel against fuel gauges, and the readings verified the amount of fuel. Because the duration of flight was to be less than 1 hour, I concluded that there was sufficient fuel on board to complete the flight and land with proper VFR reserves. During the flight I noticed that it seemed to take an unusual amount of throttle to maintain cruise RPM. I also noticed a fuel odor. I immediately began to investigate the cause and saw that the fuel gauges were fluctuating quite irregularly and were behaving in a manner that had not occurred before. It was then that I decided to return to the airport as a precaution. Descent was routine and normal. I was instructed to set up a straight-in approach to the airport's runway 9R and report a 2 mi final, which I did. Upon reporting a 2 mi final I received clear to land from the tower and acknowledged the instruction. I estimate my position as approximately a half mi final when the engine failed. I am unable to remember whether the propeller stopped or whether it windmilled. Upon the realization that the engine had failed I immediately pitched to maintain best glide speed. I verified that the mixture control was set to full rich, and I attempted to add power. There was no time available to make any further attempt at a restart. I did look at the fuel gauges and the left tank was indicating less than 1/4, and the right tank was indicating slightly greater than 1/4. Both gauges were definitely indicating a presence of fuel, and were not registering empty. Because of my altitude and rate of descent, and because of utility wires, a busy main thoroughfare, and a canal between my present position and the field, it was my judgement that an attempt to glide to the field could fail. The only available alternative was an open field area directly ahead on the grounds of the south florida state mental hospital. I was able to call a mayday to the control tower, after which I was able to shut down the master switch. Upon touchdown I judged that my speed and proximity to a fence and the thoroughfare would cause me to go through the fence and into oncoming automobile traffic if I attempted a normal rollout. Rather than risk the inevitable injuries likely to result, I judged that my best chance to escape injury or death to myself, or others, the most prudent means of stopping the aircraft would be an intentional gndloop to the right. I proceeded to kick hard right rudder to initiate the gndloop. Upon initiation of the gndloop I could feel the main gear collapse. I was able to brace myself for a sudden stop. When the aircraft came to a halt, I realized that I was either uninjured, or only had suffered minor injuries. I immediately shut down the magnetos and exited the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he has relived incident many times and knows he left with adequate fuel. Now believes he paid for carburetor overhaul that was never done. Mechanic is very suspect at this time as he took carburetor from reporter aircraft without permission, installed it in another aircraft which had same thing happen. Reporter was discussing with another pilot who said the high throttle setting to keep RPM up would cause greater than normal fuel consumption. Inspector stated that fuel seemed sludge. Fuel contamination may have contributed as well. Turned same report into FAA and NTSB. Has heard nothing further.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS ENG QUIT AT 300 FT AGL ON FINAL APCH. MAKES OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS PREFLTED BY MYSELF, IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGS AND THE POH. THE PREFLT DID INCLUDE A CHK OF THE FUEL SUPPLY BOTH VISUALLY AND WITH USE OF A MEASURING STICK. BOTH FUEL TANKS APPEARED TO BE HALF FULL, AND THE MEASURING STICK WAS WET WITH FUEL UP TO THE HALFWAY POINT BTWN THE TOP OF THE WETLINE AND TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. I DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 12 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. I FURTHER CHKED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL AGAINST FUEL GAUGES, AND THE READINGS VERIFIED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL. BECAUSE THE DURATION OF FLT WAS TO BE LESS THAN 1 HR, I CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD TO COMPLETE THE FLT AND LAND WITH PROPER VFR RESERVES. DURING THE FLT I NOTICED THAT IT SEEMED TO TAKE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN CRUISE RPM. I ALSO NOTICED A FUEL ODOR. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE AND SAW THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE FLUCTUATING QUITE IRREGULARLY AND WERE BEHAVING IN A MANNER THAT HAD NOT OCCURRED BEFORE. IT WAS THEN THAT I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT AS A PRECAUTION. DSCNT WAS ROUTINE AND NORMAL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SET UP A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE ARPT'S RWY 9R AND RPT A 2 MI FINAL, WHICH I DID. UPON RPTING A 2 MI FINAL I RECEIVED CLR TO LAND FROM THE TWR AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION. I ESTIMATE MY POS AS APPROX A HALF MI FINAL WHEN THE ENG FAILED. I AM UNABLE TO REMEMBER WHETHER THE PROP STOPPED OR WHETHER IT WINDMILLED. UPON THE REALIZATION THAT THE ENG HAD FAILED I IMMEDIATELY PITCHED TO MAINTAIN BEST GLIDE SPD. I VERIFIED THAT THE MIXTURE CTL WAS SET TO FULL RICH, AND I ATTEMPTED TO ADD PWR. THERE WAS NO TIME AVAILABLE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER ATTEMPT AT A RESTART. I DID LOOK AT THE FUEL GAUGES AND THE L TANK WAS INDICATING LESS THAN 1/4, AND THE R TANK WAS INDICATING SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN 1/4. BOTH GAUGES WERE DEFINITELY INDICATING A PRESENCE OF FUEL, AND WERE NOT REGISTERING EMPTY. BECAUSE OF MY ALT AND RATE OF DSCNT, AND BECAUSE OF UTILITY WIRES, A BUSY MAIN THOROUGHFARE, AND A CANAL BTWN MY PRESENT POS AND THE FIELD, IT WAS MY JUDGEMENT THAT AN ATTEMPT TO GLIDE TO THE FIELD COULD FAIL. THE ONLY AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVE WAS AN OPEN FIELD AREA DIRECTLY AHEAD ON THE GNDS OF THE S FLORIDA STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL. I WAS ABLE TO CALL A MAYDAY TO THE CTL TWR, AFTER WHICH I WAS ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE MASTER SWITCH. UPON TOUCHDOWN I JUDGED THAT MY SPD AND PROX TO A FENCE AND THE THOROUGHFARE WOULD CAUSE ME TO GO THROUGH THE FENCE AND INTO ONCOMING AUTOMOBILE TFC IF I ATTEMPTED A NORMAL ROLLOUT. RATHER THAN RISK THE INEVITABLE INJURIES LIKELY TO RESULT, I JUDGED THAT MY BEST CHANCE TO ESCAPE INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF, OR OTHERS, THE MOST PRUDENT MEANS OF STOPPING THE ACFT WOULD BE AN INTENTIONAL GNDLOOP TO THE R. I PROCEEDED TO KICK HARD R RUDDER TO INITIATE THE GNDLOOP. UPON INITIATION OF THE GNDLOOP I COULD FEEL THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE. I WAS ABLE TO BRACE MYSELF FOR A SUDDEN STOP. WHEN THE ACFT CAME TO A HALT, I REALIZED THAT I WAS EITHER UNINJURED, OR ONLY HAD SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE MAGNETOS AND EXITED THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAS RELIVED INCIDENT MANY TIMES AND KNOWS HE LEFT WITH ADEQUATE FUEL. NOW BELIEVES HE PAID FOR CARB OVERHAUL THAT WAS NEVER DONE. MECH IS VERY SUSPECT AT THIS TIME AS HE TOOK CARB FROM RPTR ACFT WITHOUT PERMISSION, INSTALLED IT IN ANOTHER ACFT WHICH HAD SAME THING HAPPEN. RPTR WAS DISCUSSING WITH ANOTHER PLT WHO SAID THE HIGH THROTTLE SETTING TO KEEP RPM UP WOULD CAUSE GREATER THAN NORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION. INSPECTOR STATED THAT FUEL SEEMED SLUDGE. FUEL CONTAMINATION MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED AS WELL. TURNED SAME RPT INTO FAA AND NTSB. HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER.

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.