An small aircraft engine swallowed a valve.

Attributes
ACN	272120
Time
Date	199405
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ngz
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tracon : syr
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	272120
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Over richmond the engine started making serious sounds and running rough. I requested vectors to the nearest airport for an emergency landing and we switched fuel tanks, magnetos, mixture, power, etc, but the engine was sounding worse. We were at best glide but losing 500 FPM. The pilot asked me what to do. Bay approach told me it was 10 mi to alameda NAS which involved flying over a populated area. I saw a field and took the controls. By this time we were at 1800 ft. I saw a radio controled strip with 2 runways and said I would land it there. At 1000 ft an animal walked out to the strip and stood at the intersection of both runways. A circled overhead and it did not move. It was a horse. By this time I was too low to set up a proper approach so I continued to circle. When I got to 100 ft I slowed to 80 mph and lowered gear, and finished emergency checklist. I got close to the ground and added 10 degrees of flaps and flared. We hit a small dirt mound and some bushes and then hit mud. The gear collapsed, the propeller was bent but no one was injured. The landing was ok. Part of the field was mud from the recent rains. When we were at 200 ft, I also noticed that my seat belt shoulder harness was not on and I had the back seat passenger hand it to me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that the aircraft was a PA 28-200R. The engine has not yet been torn down, but apparently it 'sucked a valve' as determined by looking through a spark plug hole. There were no injuries and no repercussions from the FAA. The aircraft could not make ccr. The land where this incident happened is very rough with water and large oil refineries taking up all of the available flat area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ENG SWALLOWED A VALVE.

Narrative: OVER RICHMOND THE ENG STARTED MAKING SERIOUS SOUNDS AND RUNNING ROUGH. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT FOR AN EMER LNDG AND WE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, MAGNETOS, MIXTURE, PWR, ETC, BUT THE ENG WAS SOUNDING WORSE. WE WERE AT BEST GLIDE BUT LOSING 500 FPM. THE PLT ASKED ME WHAT TO DO. BAY APCH TOLD ME IT WAS 10 MI TO ALAMEDA NAS WHICH INVOLVED FLYING OVER A POPULATED AREA. I SAW A FIELD AND TOOK THE CTLS. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 1800 FT. I SAW A RADIO CTLED STRIP WITH 2 RWYS AND SAID I WOULD LAND IT THERE. AT 1000 FT AN ANIMAL WALKED OUT TO THE STRIP AND STOOD AT THE INTXN OF BOTH RWYS. A CIRCLED OVERHEAD AND IT DID NOT MOVE. IT WAS A HORSE. BY THIS TIME I WAS TOO LOW TO SET UP A PROPER APCH SO I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE. WHEN I GOT TO 100 FT I SLOWED TO 80 MPH AND LOWERED GEAR, AND FINISHED EMER CHKLIST. I GOT CLOSE TO THE GND AND ADDED 10 DEGS OF FLAPS AND FLARED. WE HIT A SMALL DIRT MOUND AND SOME BUSHES AND THEN HIT MUD. THE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE PROP WAS BENT BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE LNDG WAS OK. PART OF THE FIELD WAS MUD FROM THE RECENT RAINS. WHEN WE WERE AT 200 FT, I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS WAS NOT ON AND I HAD THE BACK SEAT PAX HAND IT TO ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE ACFT WAS A PA 28-200R. THE ENG HAS NOT YET BEEN TORN DOWN, BUT APPARENTLY IT 'SUCKED A VALVE' AS DETERMINED BY LOOKING THROUGH A SPARK PLUG HOLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO REPERCUSSIONS FROM THE FAA. THE ACFT COULD NOT MAKE CCR. THE LAND WHERE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IS VERY ROUGH WITH WATER AND LARGE OIL REFINERIES TAKING UP ALL OF THE AVAILABLE FLAT AREA.

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.