Narrative:

During the 'message drop event' at the nifa competition held in cleveland, ms, my passenger and I were making our drop run over the airport. We were at 250 ft AGL and were flying at cruise power (2350 RPM and 95 KTS). After my passenger made his final drop I applied full throttle and raised the nose of the plane. The plane is an small aircraft. After climbing to 400 ft AGL the engine on our plane began to run very rough and was shaking the front of the plane violently. I immediately checked to see if my fuel valve was still on (it was), and if my primer was in and locked (it was). As my plane began losing altitude, I radioed the tower and asked for and received an immediate clearance to land. The tower then cleared the area of traffic (there were 4 other smas in the pattern). The tower then informed me that I would have a 10 KT tailwind on final. I turned the plane 135 degrees to a 45 degree entry for final. At approximately 50 ft AGL I turned final. By this time I had pulled the throttle to idle and had applied full flaps. After crossing the numbers I was still too fast to land on the runway (75-80 KTS). The tailwind I had was not helping as you can imagine. The runway at cleveland is approximately 3000 ft long. About 2/3 of the way down the runway I realized that I could not make a safe landing. I then applied full power and began raising the flaps (it was later discovered that I had lost 6 out of 8 spark plugs due to a heavy concentration of lead build-up). I had barely enough power and airspeed to clear the pwrlines at the south end of the runway. After clearing these lines, the airplane began to descend. I turned the airplane to avoid a tree in my flight path. By this time I still had 10 degrees of flaps in. Once clear of the tree there was another set of pwrlines. Not having the power to go over them I went under them. Once I was clear of the lines I pulled my throttle back to idle and began to add flaps. I performed a soft field landing at idle power and full flaps into a muddy field. No damage to aircraft. No injuries. No personal property damage.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ROUGH ENG, MAKES OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: DURING THE 'MESSAGE DROP EVENT' AT THE NIFA COMPETITION HELD IN CLEVELAND, MS, MY PAX AND I WERE MAKING OUR DROP RUN OVER THE ARPT. WE WERE AT 250 FT AGL AND WERE FLYING AT CRUISE PWR (2350 RPM AND 95 KTS). AFTER MY PAX MADE HIS FINAL DROP I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND RAISED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE. THE PLANE IS AN SMA. AFTER CLBING TO 400 FT AGL THE ENG ON OUR PLANE BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH AND WAS SHAKING THE FRONT OF THE PLANE VIOLENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED TO SEE IF MY FUEL VALVE WAS STILL ON (IT WAS), AND IF MY PRIMER WAS IN AND LOCKED (IT WAS). AS MY PLANE BEGAN LOSING ALT, I RADIOED THE TWR AND ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO LAND. THE TWR THEN CLRED THE AREA OF TFC (THERE WERE 4 OTHER SMAS IN THE PATTERN). THE TWR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE A 10 KT TAILWIND ON FINAL. I TURNED THE PLANE 135 DEGS TO A 45 DEG ENTRY FOR FINAL. AT APPROX 50 FT AGL I TURNED FINAL. BY THIS TIME I HAD PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND HAD APPLIED FULL FLAPS. AFTER XING THE NUMBERS I WAS STILL TOO FAST TO LAND ON THE RWY (75-80 KTS). THE TAILWIND I HAD WAS NOT HELPING AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. THE RWY AT CLEVELAND IS APPROX 3000 FT LONG. ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT MAKE A SAFE LNDG. I THEN APPLIED FULL PWR AND BEGAN RAISING THE FLAPS (IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT I HAD LOST 6 OUT OF 8 SPARK PLUGS DUE TO A HVY CONCENTRATION OF LEAD BUILD-UP). I HAD BARELY ENOUGH PWR AND AIRSPD TO CLR THE PWRLINES AT THE S END OF THE RWY. AFTER CLRING THESE LINES, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DSND. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID A TREE IN MY FLT PATH. BY THIS TIME I STILL HAD 10 DEGS OF FLAPS IN. ONCE CLR OF THE TREE THERE WAS ANOTHER SET OF PWRLINES. NOT HAVING THE PWR TO GO OVER THEM I WENT UNDER THEM. ONCE I WAS CLR OF THE LINES I PULLED MY THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE AND BEGAN TO ADD FLAPS. I PERFORMED A SOFT FIELD LNDG AT IDLE PWR AND FULL FLAPS INTO A MUDDY FIELD. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. NO INJURIES. NO PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE.

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.