Narrative:

I had just turned from 45 degrees to l-hand downwind when the engine quit running without any warning. My engine is the rotex 582 liquid cooled, automatic oil injection model. The water temperature was within specifications at 190 degrees and the 2 egt's showed 1150 degrees. It was a very hot day. The engine turned over easily with the starter and restarted for about 10 seconds and then quit again. At that point I had called the temporary tower at merced twice about the engine out without receiving any response from them (was probably due to so many people being keyed up on the radio at the time). I was able to make an emergency dead stick landing almost in line with the farrels and correct wind direction on touchdown. No damage was done to the farmer's field and neither myself nor my passenger sustained any injury at all. The only damage to my plane was 2 blades of my wooden propeller broken when my right main landing gear gave way. The propeller was not turning at the time of touchdown. After the right gear broke, the field tore the covering on the bottom of my right wing. Probable cause of the engine quitting may have been caused from getting bad gas from an automatic gas station. The gas sample taken from the plane had no water or visible contamination in it. I am going to have gas analyzed. It is also possible that the engine got a vapor lock from the high heat, but I have never had a vapor lock due to high heat condition before. The newer formulated automatic gas may also be the problem. See the second NASA form enclosed with this one. Its engine quit with the same symptom as mine. We had gotten our gas at the same station at the same time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT EMER LNDG MADE WHEN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT ENG QUITS. ACFT DAMAGED, NO INJURIES.

Narrative: I HAD JUST TURNED FROM 45 DEGS TO L-HAND DOWNWIND WHEN THE ENG QUIT RUNNING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. MY ENG IS THE ROTEX 582 LIQUID COOLED, AUTO OIL INJECTION MODEL. THE WATER TEMP WAS WITHIN SPECS AT 190 DEGS AND THE 2 EGT'S SHOWED 1150 DEGS. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY. THE ENG TURNED OVER EASILY WITH THE STARTER AND RESTARTED FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND THEN QUIT AGAIN. AT THAT POINT I HAD CALLED THE TEMPORARY TWR AT MERCED TWICE ABOUT THE ENG OUT WITHOUT RECEIVING ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM (WAS PROBABLY DUE TO SO MANY PEOPLE BEING KEYED UP ON THE RADIO AT THE TIME). I WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN EMER DEAD STICK LNDG ALMOST IN LINE WITH THE FARRELS AND CORRECT WIND DIRECTION ON TOUCHDOWN. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FARMER'S FIELD AND NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY PAX SUSTAINED ANY INJURY AT ALL. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO MY PLANE WAS 2 BLADES OF MY WOODEN PROP BROKEN WHEN MY R MAIN LNDG GEAR GAVE WAY. THE PROP WAS NOT TURNING AT THE TIME OF TOUCHDOWN. AFTER THE R GEAR BROKE, THE FIELD TORE THE COVERING ON THE BOTTOM OF MY R WING. PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ENG QUITTING MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM GETTING BAD GAS FROM AN AUTO GAS STATION. THE GAS SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE PLANE HAD NO WATER OR VISIBLE CONTAMINATION IN IT. I AM GOING TO HAVE GAS ANALYZED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE ENG GOT A VAPOR LOCK FROM THE HIGH HEAT, BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A VAPOR LOCK DUE TO HIGH HEAT CONDITION BEFORE. THE NEWER FORMULATED AUTO GAS MAY ALSO BE THE PROB. SEE THE SECOND NASA FORM ENCLOSED WITH THIS ONE. ITS ENG QUIT WITH THE SAME SYMPTOM AS MINE. WE HAD GOTTEN OUR GAS AT THE SAME STATION AT THE SAME TIME.

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.