Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight from cross city, fl (cty), to north perry airport (hwo), fl. I had 1 passenger, who is also a pilot. We were flying direct lal to gilbi intersection at 4000 ft. About 8-10 mi from gilbi we heard a 'pop' and the engine suddenly lost power. I saw the RPM was 1700 RPM. We were on the right tank so I immediately switched to the left, put on the fuel pump and enriched the mixture. No change, so I returned to the right tank which had the most fuel. In the meantime, I trimmed for 85 KTS for best glide. My passenger/copilot immediately told ZMA of our problem. They offered vectors to pahokee or belle glade, but I knew we couldn't make it. I headed for the okeelanta sugar refinery landing strip which I saw was about 8 mi away. Center stayed with us and another pilot on the frequency warned us of numerous canals around the strip. I checked the magnetos and master switch and looked at the emergency checklist, but I mainly concentrated on finding the airstrip and maintaining my airspeed. The runway was hidden from view by the refinery buildings at first. The RPM's may have dropped, our sink rate was increasing, but I thought that I had the runway made. On final I put the gear down. We landed about 200 ft short of the runway in a field of sugar cane. I maintained directional control until touchdown. Then we turned to the right. Thank goodness for good shoulder harnesses. I immediately turned off the master switch and magnetos, mixture idle cut off and fuel off, ELT on. We disembarked. A plane landed on the runway and the pilots check to see if we were ok and took off. The palm beach county sheriff's officers arrived soon. They helped us unload and gave my friend ice for her nose, which she had bumped. I turned off the ELT and locked the doors of the plane. The officers put me in touch with ZMA and the FAA on their car phone. They gave us a ride to south bay where we waited for a ride home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A MOONEY 201 LOST PWR DURING AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT RESULTING IN AN OFF APRT FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM CROSS CITY, FL (CTY), TO NORTH PERRY ARPT (HWO), FL. I HAD 1 PAX, WHO IS ALSO A PLT. WE WERE FLYING DIRECT LAL TO GILBI INTXN AT 4000 FT. ABOUT 8-10 MI FROM GILBI WE HEARD A 'POP' AND THE ENG SUDDENLY LOST PWR. I SAW THE RPM WAS 1700 RPM. WE WERE ON THE R TANK SO I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO THE L, PUT ON THE FUEL PUMP AND ENRICHED THE MIXTURE. NO CHANGE, SO I RETURNED TO THE R TANK WHICH HAD THE MOST FUEL. IN THE MEANTIME, I TRIMMED FOR 85 KTS FOR BEST GLIDE. MY PAX/COPLT IMMEDIATELY TOLD ZMA OF OUR PROB. THEY OFFERED VECTORS TO PAHOKEE OR BELLE GLADE, BUT I KNEW WE COULDN'T MAKE IT. I HEADED FOR THE OKEELANTA SUGAR REFINERY LNDG STRIP WHICH I SAW WAS ABOUT 8 MI AWAY. CTR STAYED WITH US AND ANOTHER PLT ON THE FREQ WARNED US OF NUMEROUS CANALS AROUND THE STRIP. I CHKED THE MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH AND LOOKED AT THE EMER CHKLIST, BUT I MAINLY CONCENTRATED ON FINDING THE AIRSTRIP AND MAINTAINING MY AIRSPD. THE RWY WAS HIDDEN FROM VIEW BY THE REFINERY BUILDINGS AT FIRST. THE RPM'S MAY HAVE DROPPED, OUR SINK RATE WAS INCREASING, BUT I THOUGHT THAT I HAD THE RWY MADE. ON FINAL I PUT THE GEAR DOWN. WE LANDED ABOUT 200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY IN A FIELD OF SUGAR CANE. I MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. THEN WE TURNED TO THE R. THANK GOODNESS FOR GOOD SHOULDER HARNESSES. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND MAGNETOS, MIXTURE IDLE CUT OFF AND FUEL OFF, ELT ON. WE DISEMBARKED. A PLANE LANDED ON THE RWY AND THE PLTS CHK TO SEE IF WE WERE OK AND TOOK OFF. THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS ARRIVED SOON. THEY HELPED US UNLOAD AND GAVE MY FRIEND ICE FOR HER NOSE, WHICH SHE HAD BUMPED. I TURNED OFF THE ELT AND LOCKED THE DOORS OF THE PLANE. THE OFFICERS PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH ZMA AND THE FAA ON THEIR CAR PHONE. THEY GAVE US A RIDE TO SOUTH BAY WHERE WE WAITED FOR A RIDE HOME.

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.