Narrative:

My medical had expired in dec/xx/92, I was over 2 yrs past my bi-annual flight review and was not legally current on instruments. I filed an IFR flight plan under my partners name. The flight proceeded normally for 3 hours when I noticed that the battery in my intercom went dead. I disconnected the intercom and was hooking up my back-up microphone when the engine failed. ATC had cleared me for the localizer approach. I slowed to 70 mph to extend the glide - I was a 6200 ft. While hooking up the head-set and hand microphone, intercepting the localizer, and extending my glide - I missed the ADF swing. I broke out of the clouds about 500 ft above the mountains. I could not maintain altitude (losing about 100 FPM) I went to the north of the mountain ridge hoping to find the airport. I contact center and advised them of my problem. I flew about 15 mins down this valley and decided that I had missed the airport. I turned around and flew back. (Below the mountain ridge - no localizer or NDB received) I was looking for a spot to land not too far away from a house or something to call from. I pulled back the throttle when I had decided to land - the engine stopped immediately. At the last second I saw a power line and dived under it (the line rubbed the top of the left wing. Broke the ADF sense antenna and 1 side of the light broke off). I landed the plane with no other damage. Called center and told them I was ok. The engine problem was from a 4 inch hold blown out of the center cylinder on the right side of the engine. My lack of a current medical or BFR had nothing to do with this problem. The plane was within annual inspection. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was called to verify damage to aircraft when the engine failed. Although he states that the engine failed, it did run producing partial power. He stated that after 15-20 mins at partial power when he attempted to reduce power for descent, the engine quit entirely. At that time he selected his landing spot, using best glide speed, he set up final for that spot. As he descended lower, he then visually acquired some power lines which caused him to dive beneath the lines, to avoid any entanglement. In the process the power lines did catch 2 of his antennas and pull them off. His landing was otherwise successful with no other damage. The engine lost power initially because #2 cylinder head came off. The aircraft was a cessna 172.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILURE CAUSES ACFT TO LAND IN FIELD.

Narrative: MY MEDICAL HAD EXPIRED IN DEC/XX/92, I WAS OVER 2 YRS PAST MY BI-ANNUAL FLT REVIEW AND WAS NOT LEGALLY CURRENT ON INSTRUMENTS. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN UNDER MY PARTNERS NAME. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY FOR 3 HRS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY IN MY INTERCOM WENT DEAD. I DISCONNECTED THE INTERCOM AND WAS HOOKING UP MY BACK-UP MIKE WHEN THE ENG FAILED. ATC HAD CLRED ME FOR THE LOC APCH. I SLOWED TO 70 MPH TO EXTEND THE GLIDE - I WAS A 6200 FT. WHILE HOOKING UP THE HEAD-SET AND HAND MIKE, INTERCEPTING THE LOC, AND EXTENDING MY GLIDE - I MISSED THE ADF SWING. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE THE MOUNTAINS. I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT (LOSING ABOUT 100 FPM) I WENT TO THE N OF THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE HOPING TO FIND THE ARPT. I CONTACT CTR AND ADVISED THEM OF MY PROB. I FLEW ABOUT 15 MINS DOWN THIS VALLEY AND DECIDED THAT I HAD MISSED THE ARPT. I TURNED AROUND AND FLEW BACK. (BELOW THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE - NO LOC OR NDB RECEIVED) I WAS LOOKING FOR A SPOT TO LAND NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM A HOUSE OR SOMETHING TO CALL FROM. I PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE WHEN I HAD DECIDED TO LAND - THE ENG STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. AT THE LAST SECOND I SAW A PWR LINE AND DIVED UNDER IT (THE LINE RUBBED THE TOP OF THE L WING. BROKE THE ADF SENSE ANTENNA AND 1 SIDE OF THE LIGHT BROKE OFF). I LANDED THE PLANE WITH NO OTHER DAMAGE. CALLED CTR AND TOLD THEM I WAS OK. THE ENG PROB WAS FROM A 4 INCH HOLD BLOWN OUT OF THE CTR CYLINDER ON THE R SIDE OF THE ENG. MY LACK OF A CURRENT MEDICAL OR BFR HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROB. THE PLANE WAS WITHIN ANNUAL INSPECTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CALLED TO VERIFY DAMAGE TO ACFT WHEN THE ENG FAILED. ALTHOUGH HE STATES THAT THE ENG FAILED, IT DID RUN PRODUCING PARTIAL PWR. HE STATED THAT AFTER 15-20 MINS AT PARTIAL PWR WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE PWR FOR DSCNT, THE ENG QUIT ENTIRELY. AT THAT TIME HE SELECTED HIS LNDG SPOT, USING BEST GLIDE SPD, HE SET UP FINAL FOR THAT SPOT. AS HE DSNDED LOWER, HE THEN VISUALLY ACQUIRED SOME PWR LINES WHICH CAUSED HIM TO DIVE BENEATH THE LINES, TO AVOID ANY ENTANGLEMENT. IN THE PROCESS THE PWR LINES DID CATCH 2 OF HIS ANTENNAS AND PULL THEM OFF. HIS LNDG WAS OTHERWISE SUCCESSFUL WITH NO OTHER DAMAGE. THE ENG LOST PWR INITIALLY BECAUSE #2 CYLINDER HEAD CAME OFF. THE ACFT WAS A CESSNA 172.

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.