Narrative:

I was en route to chino, ca, airport when, at 3000 ft MSL I experienced total engine failure while flying a 1942 boeing pt-17 stearman. Unable to glide to lake elsinore I decided that the most favorable landing site was an open field next to the route 15 freeway. The approach and touchdown were uneventful. On rollout I applied brake at end of field and the aircraft slowly went over on its back. A group of 3 of us spent 6 yrs restoring this aircraft and with help very carefully uprighted the aircraft. There was minimal damage to the vertical stabilizer and the top of the upper wing and we will restore it with the help of the a and P/ai who assisted us with and supervised the original restoration. We will tear down the engine due to the propeller strike. I consider this event an incident rather than an accident, so did not notify the FAA but thought I should file a report with you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the oil pump failed causing the 220 hp engine to fail. The reporter was not talking to anyone on VHF. When he first noticed the engine start to fail, he dialed in 122.9 to alert lake elsinore. Before the transmission could be made the engine quit. At that point he knew he could not make lake elsinore. He thought about landing on highway 15 but chose the field instead. In so doing he avoided putting anyone in harm's way. There was an element however of those who thought he should have landed on the freeway! The stearman was originally designed to be flown from the back. When this aircraft was restored the center gravity was relocated to allow solo from the front. The reporter attributes that as a factor in not being able to use any brakes without going over on its nose and then back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE INFLT AND MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO CHINO, CA, ARPT WHEN, AT 3000 FT MSL I EXPERIENCED TOTAL ENG FAILURE WHILE FLYING A 1942 BOEING PT-17 STEARMAN. UNABLE TO GLIDE TO LAKE ELSINORE I DECIDED THAT THE MOST FAVORABLE LNDG SITE WAS AN OPEN FIELD NEXT TO THE RTE 15 FREEWAY. THE APCH AND TOUCHDOWN WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON ROLLOUT I APPLIED BRAKE AT END OF FIELD AND THE ACFT SLOWLY WENT OVER ON ITS BACK. A GROUP OF 3 OF US SPENT 6 YRS RESTORING THIS ACFT AND WITH HELP VERY CAREFULLY UPRIGHTED THE ACFT. THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE VERT STABILIZER AND THE TOP OF THE UPPER WING AND WE WILL RESTORE IT WITH THE HELP OF THE A AND P/AI WHO ASSISTED US WITH AND SUPERVISED THE ORIGINAL RESTORATION. WE WILL TEAR DOWN THE ENG DUE TO THE PROP STRIKE. I CONSIDER THIS EVENT AN INCIDENT RATHER THAN AN ACCIDENT, SO DID NOT NOTIFY THE FAA BUT THOUGHT I SHOULD FILE A RPT WITH YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE OIL PUMP FAILED CAUSING THE 220 HP ENG TO FAIL. THE RPTR WAS NOT TALKING TO ANYONE ON VHF. WHEN HE FIRST NOTICED THE ENG START TO FAIL, HE DIALED IN 122.9 TO ALERT LAKE ELSINORE. BEFORE THE XMISSION COULD BE MADE THE ENG QUIT. AT THAT POINT HE KNEW HE COULD NOT MAKE LAKE ELSINORE. HE THOUGHT ABOUT LNDG ON HWY 15 BUT CHOSE THE FIELD INSTEAD. IN SO DOING HE AVOIDED PUTTING ANYONE IN HARM'S WAY. THERE WAS AN ELEMENT HOWEVER OF THOSE WHO THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE LANDED ON THE FREEWAY! THE STEARMAN WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE FLOWN FROM THE BACK. WHEN THIS ACFT WAS RESTORED THE CTR GRAVITY WAS RELOCATED TO ALLOW SOLO FROM THE FRONT. THE RPTR ATTRIBUTES THAT AS A FACTOR IN NOT BEING ABLE TO USE ANY BRAKES WITHOUT GOING OVER ON ITS NOSE AND THEN BACK.

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.