Narrative:

Departing port mansfield's airport (johnson airport) inbound to harlingen airport at 1500 ft, failure to contact with valley approach on both frequencys 120.7 and 119.5. Mixed radio receiving with mcallen's tower and valley approach radio, but failing to send any messages of who I was and where I was and what is my destination. Finally, after contacting approach about 10 mi east of harlingen's airport, valley approach handed me to harlingen tower about 6 mi east of the airport. Before dialing and reporting position to harlingen's tower, the engine failed and I still tried to contact the tower realizing that it is not possible to make it to their runway. Turning back trying to reach dusting private airport without any person answering from harlingen tower. At 7000 ft, the tower responded, confirming if I have texas dusting airport in sight. I had it in sight, but I knew I wouldn't be able to land there because of my altitude, so I started calling harlingen tower 6100 ft requesting for the wind direction and speed 2-3 times. At about 300 ft, the tower gave me the wind's direction and the windspd, but there was no time to land into the wind. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this was his first flight after receiving his private certificate. He had 5 hours fuel on board, had flown for 4 hours. He had switched tanks back and forth during the flight and just forgot to switch back again to the fullest tank. Aircraft damage was to nosewheel and propeller. He was not injured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ENG QUIT ON APCH, FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTING PORT MANSFIELD'S ARPT (JOHNSON ARPT) INBOUND TO HARLINGEN ARPT AT 1500 FT, FAILURE TO CONTACT WITH VALLEY APCH ON BOTH FREQS 120.7 AND 119.5. MIXED RADIO RECEIVING WITH MCALLEN'S TWR AND VALLEY APCH RADIO, BUT FAILING TO SEND ANY MESSAGES OF WHO I WAS AND WHERE I WAS AND WHAT IS MY DEST. FINALLY, AFTER CONTACTING APCH ABOUT 10 MI E OF HARLINGEN'S ARPT, VALLEY APCH HANDED ME TO HARLINGEN TWR ABOUT 6 MI E OF THE ARPT. BEFORE DIALING AND RPTING POS TO HARLINGEN'S TWR, THE ENG FAILED AND I STILL TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR REALIZING THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT TO THEIR RWY. TURNING BACK TRYING TO REACH DUSTING PVT ARPT WITHOUT ANY PERSON ANSWERING FROM HARLINGEN TWR. AT 7000 FT, THE TWR RESPONDED, CONFIRMING IF I HAVE TEXAS DUSTING ARPT IN SIGHT. I HAD IT IN SIGHT, BUT I KNEW I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LAND THERE BECAUSE OF MY ALT, SO I STARTED CALLING HARLINGEN TWR 6100 FT REQUESTING FOR THE WIND DIRECTION AND SPD 2-3 TIMES. AT ABOUT 300 FT, THE TWR GAVE ME THE WIND'S DIRECTION AND THE WINDSPD, BUT THERE WAS NO TIME TO LAND INTO THE WIND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS HIS FIRST FLT AFTER RECEIVING HIS PVT CERTIFICATE. HE HAD 5 HRS FUEL ON BOARD, HAD FLOWN FOR 4 HRS. HE HAD SWITCHED TANKS BACK AND FORTH DURING THE FLT AND JUST FORGOT TO SWITCH BACK AGAIN TO THE FULLEST TANK. ACFT DAMAGE WAS TO NOSEWHEEL AND PROP. HE WAS NOT INJURED.

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.