Narrative:

Lost total power on short final into sns runway 31. VFR clear WX, sunset, 'fog hazy' and approach lights inoperative. (At times this VFR condition is worse than full IFR IMC -- another good topic.) I don't think I would have done anything differently. I had no time for restart procedures except to apply full throttle. I had passed the MM and my altitude must have been plus or minus 150 ft. Maybe a little more. This was a time to 'fly the plane' and not fiddle, so my decision was to land where I did and risk hitting the embankment that elevates sns's runway above farm land. This would have been a 'head on' with the embankment at 60 KTS or risk a stall to stay above it. (This is what I did.) I banked right and pulled up hoping I would make it without having to turn sharply right to avoid embankment and landing. My alternative was to make a turn to the right and glide down to irrigated lettuce fields that I believe had rows going against me and risk a stall in the turn with full flaps and gear down in worst conditions but more time -- very little time! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the engine quit suddenly while at a power setting of approximately 1800 inches of manifold pressure at approximately 150 ft above the ground resulting in no opportunity to take very little evasive action but a slight turn. The aircraft came to rest in a plowed area off the right side of the runway. He described the damage as the nose gear tore off the aircraft, the propeller bent back and the main landing gear bent back structurally causing damage to members of the fuselage. He further stated that the insurance company considers the aircraft 'totaled.' there were no injuries. The engine was tested and operated satisfactorily. There was no determination as to the cause of the engine failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF AN SMA ACFT EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE DURING SHORT FINAL AND WAS FORCED TO LAND SHORT OF THE RWY CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LNDG GEAR, FUSELAGE AND PROP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Narrative: LOST TOTAL PWR ON SHORT FINAL INTO SNS RWY 31. VFR CLR WX, SUNSET, 'FOG HAZY' AND APCH LIGHTS INOP. (AT TIMES THIS VFR CONDITION IS WORSE THAN FULL IFR IMC -- ANOTHER GOOD TOPIC.) I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. I HAD NO TIME FOR RESTART PROCS EXCEPT TO APPLY FULL THROTTLE. I HAD PASSED THE MM AND MY ALT MUST HAVE BEEN PLUS OR MINUS 150 FT. MAYBE A LITTLE MORE. THIS WAS A TIME TO 'FLY THE PLANE' AND NOT FIDDLE, SO MY DECISION WAS TO LAND WHERE I DID AND RISK HITTING THE EMBANKMENT THAT ELEVATES SNS'S RWY ABOVE FARM LAND. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A 'HEAD ON' WITH THE EMBANKMENT AT 60 KTS OR RISK A STALL TO STAY ABOVE IT. (THIS IS WHAT I DID.) I BANKED R AND PULLED UP HOPING I WOULD MAKE IT WITHOUT HAVING TO TURN SHARPLY R TO AVOID EMBANKMENT AND LNDG. MY ALTERNATIVE WAS TO MAKE A TURN TO THE R AND GLIDE DOWN TO IRRIGATED LETTUCE FIELDS THAT I BELIEVE HAD ROWS GOING AGAINST ME AND RISK A STALL IN THE TURN WITH FULL FLAPS AND GEAR DOWN IN WORST CONDITIONS BUT MORE TIME -- VERY LITTLE TIME! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ENG QUIT SUDDENLY WHILE AT A PWR SETTING OF APPROX 1800 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AT APPROX 150 FT ABOVE THE GND RESULTING IN NO OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE VERY LITTLE EVASIVE ACTION BUT A SLIGHT TURN. THE ACFT CAME TO REST IN A PLOWED AREA OFF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. HE DESCRIBED THE DAMAGE AS THE NOSE GEAR TORE OFF THE ACFT, THE PROP BENT BACK AND THE MAIN LNDG GEAR BENT BACK STRUCTURALLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO MEMBERS OF THE FUSELAGE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY CONSIDERS THE ACFT 'TOTALED.' THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE ENG WAS TESTED AND OPERATED SATISFACTORILY. THERE WAS NO DETERMINATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE.

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.