Narrative:

On climb out from chino. Takeoff on runway 21 (intersection). Upon reaching 2100 ft MSL, engine began running rough (as if on 3 of 4 cylinders). Notified tower intention to return to land with rough engine. Used carburetor heat with no significant change. Decided not to use magneto switch due to low altitude and potential engine stoppage without ability to do in-air restart (aircraft not starter equipped). Tower notified me smoke observed under aircraft while 1 mi out. Declared intention to shut off engine on downwind (my reason was source of smoke could be or cause a fire with disastrous results in a fabric covered aircraft). Upon reaching downwind I made first power adjustment since occurrence by slowly reducing power. At about 40 percent setting, engine stopped. Chino tower cleared me to land and I did a normal dead stick landing. After landing and rolling off runway, found that propeller moved stiffly and rotation blocked after 90 degree rotation backward. Engine disassembly in progress. Chino tower and ground maintenance were great. Called and thanked instructor for great training 4 yrs ago. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying an aeronca champ 7 aircraft with a 75 horsepwr engine. He said the engine was found to have swallowed a valve. The stem had broken just below the valve seat and the head came off and poked a hole in the piston. The engine had just completed a major overhaul 35 hours ago but the valves had not been replaced. There is about 45 hours now on the new overhaul. The engine runs fine. The valves were all replaced. The only thing he would have done differently would have been to have referred to the emergency checklist. He did cover everything on the checklist but thought it would be good to say he had consulted the checklist. When the engine quit in the traffic pattern the propeller actually stopped. The engine froze. The FAA did not get involved in the event. He never did have to maintain altitude after power loss. He does not believe he would have been able to maintain altitude on the 3 of 4 cylinders that were running. He believes since the winds were almost nil he would have landed on the runway 03 opposite of runway 21 he took off of if the engine had quit completely while at 2100 ft MSL. Chino elevation is 650 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR'S ENG COMMENCED RUNNING ON 3 OF THE 4 CYLINDERS DURING CLBOUT THROUGH 2100 FT. THE RPTR RETURNED FOR LNDG. THE ENG QUIT COMPLETELY ON DOWNWIND.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM CHINO. TKOF ON RWY 21 (INTXN). UPON REACHING 2100 FT MSL, ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH (AS IF ON 3 OF 4 CYLINDERS). NOTIFIED TWR INTENTION TO RETURN TO LAND WITH ROUGH ENG. USED CARB HEAT WITH NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. DECIDED NOT TO USE MAGNETO SWITCH DUE TO LOW ALT AND POTENTIAL ENG STOPPAGE WITHOUT ABILITY TO DO IN-AIR RESTART (ACFT NOT STARTER EQUIPPED). TWR NOTIFIED ME SMOKE OBSERVED UNDER ACFT WHILE 1 MI OUT. DECLARED INTENTION TO SHUT OFF ENG ON DOWNWIND (MY REASON WAS SOURCE OF SMOKE COULD BE OR CAUSE A FIRE WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS IN A FABRIC COVERED ACFT). UPON REACHING DOWNWIND I MADE FIRST PWR ADJUSTMENT SINCE OCCURRENCE BY SLOWLY REDUCING PWR. AT ABOUT 40 PERCENT SETTING, ENG STOPPED. CHINO TWR CLRED ME TO LAND AND I DID A NORMAL DEAD STICK LNDG. AFTER LNDG AND ROLLING OFF RWY, FOUND THAT PROP MOVED STIFFLY AND ROTATION BLOCKED AFTER 90 DEG ROTATION BACKWARD. ENG DISASSEMBLY IN PROGRESS. CHINO TWR AND GND MAINT WERE GREAT. CALLED AND THANKED INSTRUCTOR FOR GREAT TRAINING 4 YRS AGO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING AN AERONCA CHAMP 7 ACFT WITH A 75 HORSEPWR ENG. HE SAID THE ENG WAS FOUND TO HAVE SWALLOWED A VALVE. THE STEM HAD BROKEN JUST BELOW THE VALVE SEAT AND THE HEAD CAME OFF AND POKED A HOLE IN THE PISTON. THE ENG HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAJOR OVERHAUL 35 HRS AGO BUT THE VALVES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THERE IS ABOUT 45 HRS NOW ON THE NEW OVERHAUL. THE ENG RUNS FINE. THE VALVES WERE ALL REPLACED. THE ONLY THING HE WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE REFERRED TO THE EMER CHKLIST. HE DID COVER EVERYTHING ON THE CHKLIST BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SAY HE HAD CONSULTED THE CHKLIST. WHEN THE ENG QUIT IN THE TFC PATTERN THE PROP ACTUALLY STOPPED. THE ENG FROZE. THE FAA DID NOT GET INVOLVED IN THE EVENT. HE NEVER DID HAVE TO MAINTAIN ALT AFTER PWR LOSS. HE DOES NOT BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT ON THE 3 OF 4 CYLINDERS THAT WERE RUNNING. HE BELIEVES SINCE THE WINDS WERE ALMOST NIL HE WOULD HAVE LANDED ON THE RWY 03 OPPOSITE OF RWY 21 HE TOOK OFF OF IF THE ENG HAD QUIT COMPLETELY WHILE AT 2100 FT MSL. CHINO ELEVATION IS 650 FT.

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.