A C172 private pilot loses engine power and lands his aircraft in a farmer's field when delaying the...

Attributes
ACN	481558
Time
Date	200008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 223
ASRS Report	481558
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight started in appleton, wi. Trip to meigs field was uneventful. Departed meigs and flew VFR around the chicago class B airspace. Route of flight was southwest to salem-leckrone, il. WX was VFR with a ceiling of about 3500 ft. Air temperature was about 80 degrees F. Flight for past 1/2 hour had been in light rain with visibility of about 7 mi in haze and rain. Approximately 20 mi southwest of 1h2 airport, the engine began to run very rough. RPM's went from 2250 RPM to 1500 RPM back and forth a few times. Changed to right tank -- no change. Changed to left tank with same result. Back to both tanks and pulled on the carburetor heat. Engine RPM dropped to 1200-1400 RPM and with little ht AGL, a precautionary landing was started. There was nothing to the front but trees. A 90 degree turn north was started and fields were noticed to the right. A base and final leg were set up for a landing in a newly cut hay field. The landing roll was about 400 ft in soft ground. We drove into 1h2 airport and looked for an a&P to look over the aircraft. None was found so we took on an additional 10 gallons of new fuel and drained the wing tanks and installed the new fuel. We drained some of this through the sump and again tested the engine. The engine ran fine for about 10 mins during the test. Due to WX conditions, carburetor ice looks to be the reason for the rough running engine. Carburetor heat would have worked to clear the engine, but due to our low ceiling and lack of landing sites ahead, the off-airport landing seemed the safest option. The field was too damp to allow a takeoff roll so with the help of local farmers, the plane was moved to the black top country road and flown off. An illinois state patrol plane saw the takeoff and followed the plane back to 1h2 to file a field report. There were no tickets issued and no warnings given. There were no tickets issued and no warnings given. I do not think any FARS were busted in this landing. Things to remember: 1) conditions which form ice. 2) when flying low under WX, always keep fields in sight. 3) don't forget to fly the plane while waiting for the engine to recover. The safest plan was to land and fix the problem on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT LOSES ENG PWR AND LANDS HIS ACFT IN A FARMER'S FIELD WHEN DELAYING THE USE OF CARB HEAT DURING LOW ALT CRUISE IN LIGHT RAIN SW OF 1H2, IL.

Narrative: FLT STARTED IN APPLETON, WI. TRIP TO MEIGS FIELD WAS UNEVENTFUL. DEPARTED MEIGS AND FLEW VFR AROUND THE CHICAGO CLASS B AIRSPACE. RTE OF FLT WAS SW TO SALEM-LECKRONE, IL. WX WAS VFR WITH A CEILING OF ABOUT 3500 FT. AIR TEMP WAS ABOUT 80 DEGS F. FLT FOR PAST 1/2 HR HAD BEEN IN LIGHT RAIN WITH VIS OF ABOUT 7 MI IN HAZE AND RAIN. APPROX 20 MI SW OF 1H2 ARPT, THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH. RPM'S WENT FROM 2250 RPM TO 1500 RPM BACK AND FORTH A FEW TIMES. CHANGED TO R TANK -- NO CHANGE. CHANGED TO L TANK WITH SAME RESULT. BACK TO BOTH TANKS AND PULLED ON THE CARB HEAT. ENG RPM DROPPED TO 1200-1400 RPM AND WITH LITTLE HT AGL, A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS STARTED. THERE WAS NOTHING TO THE FRONT BUT TREES. A 90 DEG TURN N WAS STARTED AND FIELDS WERE NOTICED TO THE R. A BASE AND FINAL LEG WERE SET UP FOR A LNDG IN A NEWLY CUT HAY FIELD. THE LNDG ROLL WAS ABOUT 400 FT IN SOFT GND. WE DROVE INTO 1H2 ARPT AND LOOKED FOR AN A&P TO LOOK OVER THE ACFT. NONE WAS FOUND SO WE TOOK ON AN ADDITIONAL 10 GALLONS OF NEW FUEL AND DRAINED THE WING TANKS AND INSTALLED THE NEW FUEL. WE DRAINED SOME OF THIS THROUGH THE SUMP AND AGAIN TESTED THE ENG. THE ENG RAN FINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINS DURING THE TEST. DUE TO WX CONDITIONS, CARB ICE LOOKS TO BE THE REASON FOR THE ROUGH RUNNING ENG. CARB HEAT WOULD HAVE WORKED TO CLR THE ENG, BUT DUE TO OUR LOW CEILING AND LACK OF LNDG SITES AHEAD, THE OFF-ARPT LNDG SEEMED THE SAFEST OPTION. THE FIELD WAS TOO DAMP TO ALLOW A TKOF ROLL SO WITH THE HELP OF LCL FARMERS, THE PLANE WAS MOVED TO THE BLACK TOP COUNTRY ROAD AND FLOWN OFF. AN ILLINOIS STATE PATROL PLANE SAW THE TKOF AND FOLLOWED THE PLANE BACK TO 1H2 TO FILE A FIELD RPT. THERE WERE NO TICKETS ISSUED AND NO WARNINGS GIVEN. THERE WERE NO TICKETS ISSUED AND NO WARNINGS GIVEN. I DO NOT THINK ANY FARS WERE BUSTED IN THIS LNDG. THINGS TO REMEMBER: 1) CONDITIONS WHICH FORM ICE. 2) WHEN FLYING LOW UNDER WX, ALWAYS KEEP FIELDS IN SIGHT. 3) DON'T FORGET TO FLY THE PLANE WHILE WAITING FOR THE ENG TO RECOVER. THE SAFEST PLAN WAS TO LAND AND FIX THE PROB ON THE GND.

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.

A C172 private pilot loses engine power and lands his aircraft in a farmer's field when delaying the use of carburetor heat during low altitude cruise in light rain southwest of 1h2, il.