Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from perris, ca, to lancaster (fox field), ca. Just through the cajon pass area, I contacted joshua approach and requested VFR advisories. At the time, I was flying a rented small aircraft at approximately 6500 ft MSL. Approximately 10 mins after contacting approach, I experienced an engine failure. It is more accurate to say that I suffered a complete loss of power, although the engine was still firing. At the time of the failure, I was approximately 7 NM north of crystal air airport (a private glider airport), and only approximately 20 NM from my destination airport (fox field - wjf). At the time, I was in a cruise confign (22 inches of pressure, 2200 RPM), with a slow descent for landing at my destination. Without warning, the engine RPM dropped to a little over 1200 RPM. At that moment, I turned toward crystal air airport, knowing I would have to land. At the same time, I attempted to regain power to the engine, by cycling the carburetor heat, and switching fuel tanks, with no luck. I also advised joshua approach of my condition. They asked if I wished to declare an emergency. I declined, since I already knew I was within gliding distance to the airport. The controller did provide vectors to the airport, which I already had in sight. I asked the controller for the frequency of the unicom at this airport. The controller told me that since it was a private airport, he did not have that information. I then asked if he could telephone them, to advise the airport that I would be landing. Again, the controller indicated that they had no information on this airport. By this time, I was approximately 1500 ft AGL, and really did not have the time to try to look through my books to find the frequency. I finally got the correct frequency from another pilot who had monitored our conversation, and was familiar with the airport. A successful landing was made at this private airport (on short final, I noticed the unicom frequency painted on the runway). Once on the ground, the engine did not even produce enough thrust to taxi the aircraft. Later that day, I heard from the FBO/owner of this plane, that the propeller governor had failed. He indicated that it had been 'rebuilt' less than 200 hours before. Upon reflection, I consider myself lucky that the failure occurred where it did. 15 mins prior to this, I was only 1000 ft AGL in a mountain pass, with few landing options. Prior to that, I was over a large metropolitan area (ontario). During the flight earlier that morning, I was flying VFR over the low morning overcast in the ontario area. 1) I believe it is popular belief, and often taught to students, that when a propeller governor fails, the propeller will be returned to low pitch, so the aircraft can still be flown. In this case, the failure of the propeller governor caused the propeller to go into high pitch. At full throttle in-flight, the engine would only produce about 1200 RPM, which was not enough to sustain flight (or should I say, I didn't want to find out). In-flight, the windmilling propeller didn't produce any drag, but also added no thrust. Because of the high pitch, the engine 'appeared' to run rough, making my diagnosis of the problem more difficult. 2) although the controller did a fine job of handling my incident (the police had been notified, apparently by the controller), the one thing I found depressing is that apparently, controllers don't always have information on local airports if they are privately owned. Crystal air airport is a very active glider airport, and is the only airport within a 20 mi radius of this desert area. It also lies near a popular victor airway. I understand that controllers can't possibly have information on every 'private dirt strip' often found in the desert, but this airport was a busy glider airport, with a single paved runway (length unknown, but probably 1500-2000 ft long). I believe that in the interest of safety, it would be in the interest of the controling agency of the local area to at least have frequency, elevation, and telephone numbers to every private airport that could be used for emergency lndgs. On the ground, the people at this airport told me that in the past they have seen 'at least a half dozen' other aircraft make emergency lndgs there. As I write this, I do not have access to an airport facility directory, but I wonder if this airport even appears in it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS PWR LOSS, MAKES EMER LNDG AT PVT GLIDER STRIP.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM PERRIS, CA, TO LANCASTER (FOX FIELD), CA. JUST THROUGH THE CAJON PASS AREA, I CONTACTED JOSHUA APCH AND REQUESTED VFR ADVISORIES. AT THE TIME, I WAS FLYING A RENTED SMA AT APPROX 6500 FT MSL. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER CONTACTING APCH, I EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE. IT IS MORE ACCURATE TO SAY THAT I SUFFERED A COMPLETE LOSS OF PWR, ALTHOUGH THE ENG WAS STILL FIRING. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, I WAS APPROX 7 NM N OF CRYSTAL AIR ARPT (A PRIVATE GLIDER ARPT), AND ONLY APPROX 20 NM FROM MY DEST ARPT (FOX FIELD - WJF). AT THE TIME, I WAS IN A CRUISE CONFIGN (22 INCHES OF PRESSURE, 2200 RPM), WITH A SLOW DSCNT FOR LNDG AT MY DEST. WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENG RPM DROPPED TO A LITTLE OVER 1200 RPM. AT THAT MOMENT, I TURNED TOWARD CRYSTAL AIR ARPT, KNOWING I WOULD HAVE TO LAND. AT THE SAME TIME, I ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN PWR TO THE ENG, BY CYCLING THE CARB HEAT, AND SWITCHING FUEL TANKS, WITH NO LUCK. I ALSO ADVISED JOSHUA APCH OF MY CONDITION. THEY ASKED IF I WISHED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I DECLINED, SINCE I ALREADY KNEW I WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR DID PROVIDE VECTORS TO THE ARPT, WHICH I ALREADY HAD IN SIGHT. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR THE FREQ OF THE UNICOM AT THIS ARPT. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT SINCE IT WAS A PRIVATE ARPT, HE DID NOT HAVE THAT INFO. I THEN ASKED IF HE COULD TELEPHONE THEM, TO ADVISE THE ARPT THAT I WOULD BE LNDG. AGAIN, THE CTLR INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NO INFO ON THIS ARPT. BY THIS TIME, I WAS APPROX 1500 FT AGL, AND REALLY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO TRY TO LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS TO FIND THE FREQ. I FINALLY GOT THE CORRECT FREQ FROM ANOTHER PLT WHO HAD MONITORED OUR CONVERSATION, AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT THIS PRIVATE ARPT (ON SHORT FINAL, I NOTICED THE UNICOM FREQ PAINTED ON THE RWY). ONCE ON THE GND, THE ENG DID NOT EVEN PRODUCE ENOUGH THRUST TO TAXI THE ACFT. LATER THAT DAY, I HEARD FROM THE FBO/OWNER OF THIS PLANE, THAT THE PROP GOVERNOR HAD FAILED. HE INDICATED THAT IT HAD BEEN 'REBUILT' LESS THAN 200 HRS BEFORE. UPON REFLECTION, I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHERE IT DID. 15 MINS PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS ONLY 1000 FT AGL IN A MOUNTAIN PASS, WITH FEW LNDG OPTIONS. PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS OVER A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA (ONTARIO). DURING THE FLT EARLIER THAT MORNING, I WAS FLYING VFR OVER THE LOW MORNING OVCST IN THE ONTARIO AREA. 1) I BELIEVE IT IS POPULAR BELIEF, AND OFTEN TAUGHT TO STUDENTS, THAT WHEN A PROP GOVERNOR FAILS, THE PROP WILL BE RETURNED TO LOW PITCH, SO THE ACFT CAN STILL BE FLOWN. IN THIS CASE, THE FAILURE OF THE PROP GOVERNOR CAUSED THE PROP TO GO INTO HIGH PITCH. AT FULL THROTTLE INFLT, THE ENG WOULD ONLY PRODUCE ABOUT 1200 RPM, WHICH WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN FLT (OR SHOULD I SAY, I DIDN'T WANT TO FIND OUT). INFLT, THE WINDMILLING PROP DIDN'T PRODUCE ANY DRAG, BUT ALSO ADDED NO THRUST. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH PITCH, THE ENG 'APPEARED' TO RUN ROUGH, MAKING MY DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROB MORE DIFFICULT. 2) ALTHOUGH THE CTLR DID A FINE JOB OF HANDLING MY INCIDENT (THE POLICE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, APPARENTLY BY THE CTLR), THE ONE THING I FOUND DEPRESSING IS THAT APPARENTLY, CTLRS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE INFO ON LCL ARPTS IF THEY ARE PRIVATELY OWNED. CRYSTAL AIR ARPT IS A VERY ACTIVE GLIDER ARPT, AND IS THE ONLY ARPT WITHIN A 20 MI RADIUS OF THIS DESERT AREA. IT ALSO LIES NEAR A POPULAR VICTOR AIRWAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT CTLRS CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE INFO ON EVERY 'PRIVATE DIRT STRIP' OFTEN FOUND IN THE DESERT, BUT THIS ARPT WAS A BUSY GLIDER ARPT, WITH A SINGLE PAVED RWY (LENGTH UNKNOWN, BUT PROBABLY 1500-2000 FT LONG). I BELIEVE THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, IT WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF THE CTLING AGENCY OF THE LCL AREA TO AT LEAST HAVE FREQ, ELEVATION, AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS TO EVERY PRIVATE ARPT THAT COULD BE USED FOR EMER LNDGS. ON THE GND, THE PEOPLE AT THIS ARPT TOLD ME THAT IN THE PAST THEY HAVE SEEN 'AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN' OTHER ACFT MAKE EMER LNDGS THERE. AS I WRITE THIS, I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO AN ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY, BUT I WONDER IF THIS ARPT EVEN APPEARS IN IT.

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.