Single engine biplane at 1000 ft AGL had an engine failure followed by a forced landing off airport.

Attributes
ACN	376077
Time
Date	199708
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : c55
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	376077
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Discussed the event with a deputy director of NTSB to determine the status of the event. She informed me I had no responsibility to file a report due to the limited damage, and the fact that this would not be considered an accident. In cruise on a beautiful, clear morning, approximately 1000 ft AGL, the engine began to sputter. I cycled the fuel valve of the upper tank to the main tank and left it in the xfer position. I began an immediate descent to keep the airspeed above stall and began looking for a suitable landing site. I pushed mixture, propeller and throttle forward in hopes of ignition, to no avail. The descent angle to keep the airspeed above stall was quite steep, affording very little time to assess the problem and troubleshoot. Finding limited choices of landing sites, with altitude decreasing rapidly, I chose to put the aircraft down in a corn field. The corn was at least 8 ft tall and very thick. I was concerned about flipping over once I got into the corn, so I attempted to keep the aircraft airborne as long as possible, and enter at a nose high attitude. This was accomplished, and we landed and came to a stop upright, with no harm done to either myself or my passenger, my wife. The aircraft gear collapsed, but sustained no other structural damage. Why the fuel did not xfer is still unknown. I had used the exact same technique on 3 legs the previous day successfully, and had used the same procedure the entire time I had owned the aircraft, almost 1 yr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE ENG BIPLANE AT 1000 FT AGL HAD AN ENG FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT.

Narrative: DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NTSB TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE EVENT. SHE INFORMED ME I HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY TO FILE A RPT DUE TO THE LIMITED DAMAGE, AND THE FACT THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN ACCIDENT. IN CRUISE ON A BEAUTIFUL, CLR MORNING, APPROX 1000 FT AGL, THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I CYCLED THE FUEL VALVE OF THE UPPER TANK TO THE MAIN TANK AND LEFT IT IN THE XFER POS. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO KEEP THE AIRSPD ABOVE STALL AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LNDG SITE. I PUSHED MIXTURE, PROP AND THROTTLE FORWARD IN HOPES OF IGNITION, TO NO AVAIL. THE DSCNT ANGLE TO KEEP THE AIRSPD ABOVE STALL WAS QUITE STEEP, AFFORDING VERY LITTLE TIME TO ASSESS THE PROB AND TROUBLESHOOT. FINDING LIMITED CHOICES OF LNDG SITES, WITH ALT DECREASING RAPIDLY, I CHOSE TO PUT THE ACFT DOWN IN A CORN FIELD. THE CORN WAS AT LEAST 8 FT TALL AND VERY THICK. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FLIPPING OVER ONCE I GOT INTO THE CORN, SO I ATTEMPTED TO KEEP THE ACFT AIRBORNE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND ENTER AT A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED, AND WE LANDED AND CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT, WITH NO HARM DONE TO EITHER MYSELF OR MY PAX, MY WIFE. THE ACFT GEAR COLLAPSED, BUT SUSTAINED NO OTHER STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. WHY THE FUEL DID NOT XFER IS STILL UNKNOWN. I HAD USED THE EXACT SAME TECHNIQUE ON 3 LEGS THE PREVIOUS DAY SUCCESSFULLY, AND HAD USED THE SAME PROC THE ENTIRE TIME I HAD OWNED THE ACFT, ALMOST 1 YR.

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.