Narrative:

This forced landing arose through greater than anticipated fuel consumption due to a break-in period of a new cylinder on the engine, and in part to strong southwest winds during approach and attempted landing at aurora airport. To break in the cylinder properly, I was operating richer than normal and at higher power settings than normal during descent. Therefore, fuel consumption was greater. I did take into account the greater fuel consumption caused by the new cylinder's break-in by having more fuel on board. Since there was no fuel available to me at the mount vernon airport, I descended into aurora for fuel. After I flew the last 3 loads and was descending over the drop zone to assure all jumpers were on the ground (this is our standard procedure on each load), I was showing above 1/8 on the gauges or 9 or 10 gallons. That should have been enough fuel with reserve to land in aurora. At approximately 5000 ft MSL, I turned toward aurora and continued my descent. I made contact with aurora unicom at about 5 mi out. As I was descending through 4500 ft MSL, 3 mi north of runway 18, the engine coughed and quit. I told aurora unicom that my engine just quit, but I thought I would be able to make the field. I set best glide airspeed, made sure the mixture was rich, magnetos on both, and master on, the propeller was windmilling. I considered pitching the nose up in an attempt to stop the propeller, but thought I would only lose more altitude in the process, and maybe not stop it either. For most of the glide, I thought I would be able to make the runway. However, having a strong southwest wind, approximately 30-35 KTS winds aloft, slowed my ground speed greatly. I told unicom I would not be able to make the runway, that I was landing to the right of the runway in a field. I made the 45 degree right turn, lowered the nose to maintain airspeed and lined up on the field. I was headed into the wind at this point. I put in 1/2 degree flaps, turned the fuel selector to off, mixture to idle cutoff, and master off. I leveled off over the near end of the field, held the nose off and stalled the aircraft just above the ground. The aircraft rolled out and came to a stop just beyond the middle of the field. The local police had arrived while we were getting fuel. The police received verbal ok from the FAA to fly the aircraft out of the field. The next morning we took off and landed the plane at aurora with no problems. My perception of a 30 min reserve has changed to a much more conservative position, especially with any kind of abnormal operations. A 1 hour reserve would not have been too much to have in this case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT INVOLVED IN PARACHUTE ACTIVITY RUNS OUT OF FUEL AND LANDS IN A FIELD NEAR HIS DEST ARPT.

Narrative: THIS FORCED LNDG AROSE THROUGH GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED FUEL CONSUMPTION DUE TO A BREAK-IN PERIOD OF A NEW CYLINDER ON THE ENG, AND IN PART TO STRONG SW WINDS DURING APCH AND ATTEMPTED LNDG AT AURORA ARPT. TO BREAK IN THE CYLINDER PROPERLY, I WAS OPERATING RICHER THAN NORMAL AND AT HIGHER PWR SETTINGS THAN NORMAL DURING DSCNT. THEREFORE, FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS GREATER. I DID TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE GREATER FUEL CONSUMPTION CAUSED BY THE NEW CYLINDER'S BREAK-IN BY HAVING MORE FUEL ON BOARD. SINCE THERE WAS NO FUEL AVAILABLE TO ME AT THE MOUNT VERNON ARPT, I DSNDED INTO AURORA FOR FUEL. AFTER I FLEW THE LAST 3 LOADS AND WAS DSNDING OVER THE DROP ZONE TO ASSURE ALL JUMPERS WERE ON THE GND (THIS IS OUR STANDARD PROC ON EACH LOAD), I WAS SHOWING ABOVE 1/8 ON THE GAUGES OR 9 OR 10 GALLONS. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FUEL WITH RESERVE TO LAND IN AURORA. AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL, I TURNED TOWARD AURORA AND CONTINUED MY DSCNT. I MADE CONTACT WITH AURORA UNICOM AT ABOUT 5 MI OUT. AS I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 4500 FT MSL, 3 MI N OF RWY 18, THE ENG COUGHED AND QUIT. I TOLD AURORA UNICOM THAT MY ENG JUST QUIT, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD. I SET BEST GLIDE AIRSPD, MADE SURE THE MIXTURE WAS RICH, MAGNETOS ON BOTH, AND MASTER ON, THE PROP WAS WINDMILLING. I CONSIDERED PITCHING THE NOSE UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE PROP, BUT THOUGHT I WOULD ONLY LOSE MORE ALT IN THE PROCESS, AND MAYBE NOT STOP IT EITHER. FOR MOST OF THE GLIDE, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RWY. HOWEVER, HAVING A STRONG SW WIND, APPROX 30-35 KTS WINDS ALOFT, SLOWED MY GND SPD GREATLY. I TOLD UNICOM I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RWY, THAT I WAS LNDG TO THE R OF THE RWY IN A FIELD. I MADE THE 45 DEG R TURN, LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD AND LINED UP ON THE FIELD. I WAS HEADED INTO THE WIND AT THIS POINT. I PUT IN 1/2 DEG FLAPS, TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF, MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF, AND MASTER OFF. I LEVELED OFF OVER THE NEAR END OF THE FIELD, HELD THE NOSE OFF AND STALLED THE ACFT JUST ABOVE THE GND. THE ACFT ROLLED OUT AND CAME TO A STOP JUST BEYOND THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. THE LCL POLICE HAD ARRIVED WHILE WE WERE GETTING FUEL. THE POLICE RECEIVED VERBAL OK FROM THE FAA TO FLY THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD. THE NEXT MORNING WE TOOK OFF AND LANDED THE PLANE AT AURORA WITH NO PROBS. MY PERCEPTION OF A 30 MIN RESERVE HAS CHANGED TO A MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE POS, ESPECIALLY WITH ANY KIND OF ABNORMAL OPS. A 1 HR RESERVE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH TO HAVE IN THIS CASE.

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.