Narrative:

The intent of this report is to recount the events surrounding the off-airfield landing of a cessna 182 nxxx in the vicinity of donegal springs airport (N71). The exact location of the landing was in a cornfield approximately 1/4 mi southeast of the approach end of runway 27. The only occupant of the aircraft was owner. There was no damage to the plane, and no injury sustained by the pilot. This aircraft is leased. On the day of the occurrence nxxx had already flown 1 fuel load and was to be refueled for the second time after landing. The aircraft are refueled after 4 trips to 10500 ft MSL. At the time of the occurrence nxxx was returning from the 4TH trip to 10500 ft MSL. This was the first time I had flown this particular aircraft. I have flown the other plane and was familiar with the aircraft type in the utility confign, particularly configured for parachute operations. Due to timing and demand, both planes were in the air at the same time. The second plane was climbing and descending over marietta. To provide vertical and horizontal separation I was climbing and descending in a race track pattern from chickies rock (the bend in the river) to columbia, an area that I don't normally use. This location required a straight-in approach to the drop zone from the southeast. This approach was entirely into the wind, resulting in extended times on the jump runs (approximately 10 mins longer). I was descending after the 4TH load and all indications were normal. I was in the pattern to land and spaced myself with the other traffic, another plane on final. The traffic pattern at donegal springs was runway 27, left traffic. I was on base when the engine began to run rough and lose power. At my current power and airspeed I determined that I could not safely glide to the runway so I chose a field that appeared suitable for landing. I called on the unicom stating my situation and intentions to land in the field. The landing was a normal power-off, soft- field landing. After landing I did a quick walk around the aircraft and again called on unicom stating that I had no injuries and the aircraft did not appear to be damaged. Assuming that the engine began to run rough due to fuel starvation, I also asked for fuel. I then did a thorough walk around and again found no damage to the aircraft. At this point I decided that the best and easiest way to get the aircraft back to the airport was to taxi on airport to the airfield (approximately 1/2 mi). With the help of some people from the airport we put approximately 4 gallons of 100LL fuel in the right tank and pushed the aircraft out to the road. An east donegal township police officer drove to the airport and blocked the road to prevent any traffic interference. I started the aircraft and uneventfully taxied the aircraft back to the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION OFF ARPT EMER LNDG.

Narrative: THE INTENT OF THIS RPT IS TO RECOUNT THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE OFF-AIRFIELD LNDG OF A CESSNA 182 NXXX IN THE VICINITY OF DONEGAL SPRINGS ARPT (N71). THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE LNDG WAS IN A CORNFIELD APPROX 1/4 MI SE OF THE APCH END OF RWY 27. THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE ACFT WAS OWNER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE, AND NO INJURY SUSTAINED BY THE PLT. THIS ACFT IS LEASED. ON THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE NXXX HAD ALREADY FLOWN 1 FUEL LOAD AND WAS TO BE REFUELED FOR THE SECOND TIME AFTER LNDG. THE ACFT ARE REFUELED AFTER 4 TRIPS TO 10500 FT MSL. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE NXXX WAS RETURNING FROM THE 4TH TRIP TO 10500 FT MSL. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. I HAVE FLOWN THE OTHER PLANE AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT TYPE IN THE UTILITY CONFIGN, PARTICULARLY CONFIGURED FOR PARACHUTE OPS. DUE TO TIMING AND DEMAND, BOTH PLANES WERE IN THE AIR AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECOND PLANE WAS CLBING AND DSNDING OVER MARIETTA. TO PROVIDE VERT AND HORIZ SEPARATION I WAS CLBING AND DSNDING IN A RACE TRACK PATTERN FROM CHICKIES ROCK (THE BEND IN THE RIVER) TO COLUMBIA, AN AREA THAT I DON'T NORMALLY USE. THIS LOCATION REQUIRED A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE DROP ZONE FROM THE SE. THIS APCH WAS ENTIRELY INTO THE WIND, RESULTING IN EXTENDED TIMES ON THE JUMP RUNS (APPROX 10 MINS LONGER). I WAS DSNDING AFTER THE 4TH LOAD AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. I WAS IN THE PATTERN TO LAND AND SPACED MYSELF WITH THE OTHER TFC, ANOTHER PLANE ON FINAL. THE TFC PATTERN AT DONEGAL SPRINGS WAS RWY 27, L TFC. I WAS ON BASE WHEN THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE PWR. AT MY CURRENT PWR AND AIRSPD I DETERMINED THAT I COULD NOT SAFELY GLIDE TO THE RWY SO I CHOSE A FIELD THAT APPEARED SUITABLE FOR LNDG. I CALLED ON THE UNICOM STATING MY SIT AND INTENTIONS TO LAND IN THE FIELD. THE LNDG WAS A NORMAL PWR-OFF, SOFT- FIELD LNDG. AFTER LNDG I DID A QUICK WALK AROUND THE ACFT AND AGAIN CALLED ON UNICOM STATING THAT I HAD NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DAMAGED. ASSUMING THAT THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, I ALSO ASKED FOR FUEL. I THEN DID A THOROUGH WALK AROUND AND AGAIN FOUND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT I DECIDED THAT THE BEST AND EASIEST WAY TO GET THE ACFT BACK TO THE ARPT WAS TO TAXI ON ARPT TO THE AIRFIELD (APPROX 1/2 MI). WITH THE HELP OF SOME PEOPLE FROM THE ARPT WE PUT APPROX 4 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL IN THE R TANK AND PUSHED THE ACFT OUT TO THE ROAD. AN EAST DONEGAL TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICER DROVE TO THE ARPT AND BLOCKED THE ROAD TO PREVENT ANY TFC INTERFERENCE. I STARTED THE ACFT AND UNEVENTFULLY TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE ARPT.

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.