Bonanza pilot has engine malfunction during approach to ill and elects to do an off field landing.

Attributes
ACN	582813
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 475 flight time type : 99
ASRS Report	582813
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. Pre-landing checklist had fuel on left main, mixture rich and entered downwind at 45 degrees for runway 28, gear down, 15 degree manifold pressure. Began left bank turn to base. Engine lost power as I gave more throttle and no response. A quick check of fuel selector verified left main and no engine response. Altitude was approximately 500 ft AGL. At the end of runway 10 is a drainage ditch. I knew I was not going to make the runway and had power lines and trees to contend with. I feathered the propeller and retracted the flaps. Cleared the trees and landed in a bean field approximately 1/8 mi from the airport. No damage to the aircraft or myself. Upon inspection, fuel selector was on left main and visual inspection showed tank to be 3/4 full. Aircraft right fuel vent was clear. The left vent was slightly blocked and was blown out. Aircraft was topped off and took 47 gals. 63 gals usable meant 16 gals were in the left main. Temperature at the time was upper 30 degrees. The mechanic had no solid explanation. Ice might have been a possibility or the partially blocked left vent. The aircraft was checked out, magnetos, vents, run-up, etc, and flown home the same day. The aircraft had a check valve replaced due to fuel leakage 6 months prior. It had not been a problem since that time. We are gong to contact the bonanza organization for their thoughts on this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BONANZA PLT HAS ENG MALFUNCTION DURING APCH TO ILL AND ELECTS TO DO AN OFF FIELD LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. PRE-LNDG CHKLIST HAD FUEL ON L MAIN, MIXTURE RICH AND ENTERED DOWNWIND AT 45 DEGS FOR RWY 28, GEAR DOWN, 15 DEG MANIFOLD PRESSURE. BEGAN L BANK TURN TO BASE. ENG LOST PWR AS I GAVE MORE THROTTLE AND NO RESPONSE. A QUICK CHK OF FUEL SELECTOR VERIFIED L MAIN AND NO ENG RESPONSE. ALT WAS APPROX 500 FT AGL. AT THE END OF RWY 10 IS A DRAINAGE DITCH. I KNEW I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RWY AND HAD PWR LINES AND TREES TO CONTEND WITH. I FEATHERED THE PROP AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. CLRED THE TREES AND LANDED IN A BEAN FIELD APPROX 1/8 MI FROM THE ARPT. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR MYSELF. UPON INSPECTION, FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON L MAIN AND VISUAL INSPECTION SHOWED TANK TO BE 3/4 FULL. ACFT R FUEL VENT WAS CLR. THE L VENT WAS SLIGHTLY BLOCKED AND WAS BLOWN OUT. ACFT WAS TOPPED OFF AND TOOK 47 GALS. 63 GALS USABLE MEANT 16 GALS WERE IN THE L MAIN. TEMP AT THE TIME WAS UPPER 30 DEGS. THE MECH HAD NO SOLID EXPLANATION. ICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A POSSIBILITY OR THE PARTIALLY BLOCKED L VENT. THE ACFT WAS CHKED OUT, MAGNETOS, VENTS, RUN-UP, ETC, AND FLOWN HOME THE SAME DAY. THE ACFT HAD A CHK VALVE REPLACED DUE TO FUEL LEAKAGE 6 MONTHS PRIOR. IT HAD NOT BEEN A PROB SINCE THAT TIME. WE ARE GONG TO CONTACT THE BONANZA ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS SIT.

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.