Narrative:

On jul/xa/95, I was flying an airplane that I had purchased 2 days earlier from lake berryessa to hollister municipal. When I arrived close to my destination the cloud cover was too thick and I deviated to my alternate of los banos. While en route the engine RPM began to surge. This aircraft is a republic seabee which has a history of propeller reversal in flight and being somewhat unfamiliar with this aircraft felt that this engine condition could have been a sign of this potential problem. Upon checking the ground for possible landing areas I sighted a dirt landing strip directly below and decided that it would be much safer to land at this strip than to continue and possibly have problems over a less desirable area. I landed the aircraft with no incident and checked over the engine and propeller mechanism and adjusted the reverse mechanism to insure safe operation. During preflight inspection I found the fuel level at approximately 15 gals and decided that it would be safe to add more fuel especially since takeoff is not recommended with less than 12 gals. This aircraft is stc'd for automatic gas so I walked to a nearby gas station and had them bring 15 gals to refuel. While refueling the owner of the property came over and talked to us and did not object to me taking off from his property. Run-up went good and I taxied to the end of the runway for takeoff. I started my takeoff roll to see a police car with lights flashing, driving directly at me on the landing strip so I stopped the aircraft. The police officer, mr X, asked for my identify and pilot certificate and told me that the FAA had told him to cite me for landing on private property. Meanwhile the deputy sheriff, who was waiting in his car came over and asked for the aircraft documentation and asked permission to search the aircraft which I granted. He thoroughly searched through our baggage to find nothing of interest to him and explained the concern of drug smuggling. He also expressed his concern of me running out of gas so I showed him the fuel dip stick to show 35 gals and he was satisfied. Takeoff was uneventful and we continued our flight. I believe that I have not broken any laws or far's. Everything that I did was in the interest of safety and was accomplished within the guidelines set by the FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he landed at an abandoned airstrip next to the santa nella sheriff's substation along highway 5. The FAA and court citation have not been active to cause him any further problems so far. He was not aware there is no automatic gas stc for his franklin engine. He was alerted to some of the hazards associated with using automatic fuel by this callback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENCOUNTERS ENG PROBS AND MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON ABANDONED RWY.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/95, I WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE THAT I HAD PURCHASED 2 DAYS EARLIER FROM LAKE BERRYESSA TO HOLLISTER MUNICIPAL. WHEN I ARRIVED CLOSE TO MY DEST THE CLOUD COVER WAS TOO THICK AND I DEVIATED TO MY ALTERNATE OF LOS BANOS. WHILE ENRTE THE ENG RPM BEGAN TO SURGE. THIS ACFT IS A REPUBLIC SEABEE WHICH HAS A HISTORY OF PROP REVERSAL IN FLT AND BEING SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ACFT FELT THAT THIS ENG CONDITION COULD HAVE BEEN A SIGN OF THIS POTENTIAL PROB. UPON CHKING THE GND FOR POSSIBLE LNDG AREAS I SIGHTED A DIRT LNDG STRIP DIRECTLY BELOW AND DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER TO LAND AT THIS STRIP THAN TO CONTINUE AND POSSIBLY HAVE PROBS OVER A LESS DESIRABLE AREA. I LANDED THE ACFT WITH NO INCIDENT AND CHKED OVER THE ENG AND PROP MECHANISM AND ADJUSTED THE REVERSE MECHANISM TO INSURE SAFE OP. DURING PREFLT INSPECTION I FOUND THE FUEL LEVEL AT APPROX 15 GALS AND DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO ADD MORE FUEL ESPECIALLY SINCE TKOF IS NOT RECOMMENDED WITH LESS THAN 12 GALS. THIS ACFT IS STC'D FOR AUTO GAS SO I WALKED TO A NEARBY GAS STATION AND HAD THEM BRING 15 GALS TO REFUEL. WHILE REFUELING THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY CAME OVER AND TALKED TO US AND DID NOT OBJECT TO ME TAKING OFF FROM HIS PROPERTY. RUN-UP WENT GOOD AND I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY FOR TKOF. I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL TO SEE A POLICE CAR WITH LIGHTS FLASHING, DRIVING DIRECTLY AT ME ON THE LNDG STRIP SO I STOPPED THE ACFT. THE POLICE OFFICER, MR X, ASKED FOR MY IDENT AND PLT CERTIFICATE AND TOLD ME THAT THE FAA HAD TOLD HIM TO CITE ME FOR LNDG ON PVT PROPERTY. MEANWHILE THE DEPUTY SHERIFF, WHO WAS WAITING IN HIS CAR CAME OVER AND ASKED FOR THE ACFT DOCUMENTATION AND ASKED PERMISSION TO SEARCH THE ACFT WHICH I GRANTED. HE THOROUGHLY SEARCHED THROUGH OUR BAGGAGE TO FIND NOTHING OF INTEREST TO HIM AND EXPLAINED THE CONCERN OF DRUG SMUGGLING. HE ALSO EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OF ME RUNNING OUT OF GAS SO I SHOWED HIM THE FUEL DIP STICK TO SHOW 35 GALS AND HE WAS SATISFIED. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE CONTINUED OUR FLT. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE NOT BROKEN ANY LAWS OR FAR'S. EVERYTHING THAT I DID WAS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN THE GUIDELINES SET BY THE FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE LANDED AT AN ABANDONED AIRSTRIP NEXT TO THE SANTA NELLA SHERIFF'S SUBSTATION ALONG HWY 5. THE FAA AND COURT CITATION HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVE TO CAUSE HIM ANY FURTHER PROBS SO FAR. HE WAS NOT AWARE THERE IS NO AUTO GAS STC FOR HIS FRANKLIN ENG. HE WAS ALERTED TO SOME OF THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH USING AUTO FUEL BY THIS CALLBACK.

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.