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An small aircraft pilot had problems with the carburetor heat system and this led to engine failure and an off airport landing. No injuries or aircraft damage.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 372131 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : 9c2 |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 2300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau tower : btl |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 916 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 372131 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
While en route back to 9c2 for landing the engine began to run rough. Prior to this (20 seconds earlier) a carburetor heat check had been performed and all was normal. At the onset of engine roughness carburetor heat was immediately applied making the roughness progressively worse. The complete troubleshooting process was completed to no avail after best glide and best field were determined. With the engine about to quit completely carburetor heat was turned off and a small improvement was made. A few seconds later this worsened and carburetor heat was placed in an intermediate position to avoid complete failure as nearly experienced previously with heat on full hot. The engine then lost all power. A restart attempt was made 3 separate times with no restart made. 7700 was set into transponder, passenger were briefed, a mayday call was made to battle creek tower and the aircraft was safely landed gear down in a corn field with no passenger injuries or aircraft damage.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SMA PLT HAD PROBS WITH THE CARB HEAT SYS AND THIS LED TO ENG FAILURE AND AN OFF ARPT LNDG. NO INJURIES OR ACFT DAMAGE.
Narrative: WHILE ENRTE BACK TO 9C2 FOR LNDG THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. PRIOR TO THIS (20 SECONDS EARLIER) A CARB HEAT CHK HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND ALL WAS NORMAL. AT THE ONSET OF ENG ROUGHNESS CARB HEAT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPLIED MAKING THE ROUGHNESS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE COMPLETE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS WAS COMPLETED TO NO AVAIL AFTER BEST GLIDE AND BEST FIELD WERE DETERMINED. WITH THE ENG ABOUT TO QUIT COMPLETELY CARB HEAT WAS TURNED OFF AND A SMALL IMPROVEMENT WAS MADE. A FEW SECONDS LATER THIS WORSENED AND CARB HEAT WAS PLACED IN AN INTERMEDIATE POS TO AVOID COMPLETE FAILURE AS NEARLY EXPERIENCED PREVIOUSLY WITH HEAT ON FULL HOT. THE ENG THEN LOST ALL PWR. A RESTART ATTEMPT WAS MADE 3 SEPARATE TIMES WITH NO RESTART MADE. 7700 WAS SET INTO XPONDER, PAX WERE BRIEFED, A MAYDAY CALL WAS MADE TO BATTLE CREEK TWR AND THE ACFT WAS SAFELY LANDED GEAR DOWN IN A CORN FIELD WITH NO PAX INJURIES OR ACFT DAMAGE.
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.