Narrative:

PIC and I were approaching lincoln, northeast, which was the last leg of the flight for the day. We were approximately 2 hours and 45 mins into the flight approaching shenandoah, ia, when our engine failed. At the time, PIC was navigating, locating our exact position off local VOR's and I was holding a heading for PIC while he naved. The plane's navigation equipment was on the lower left side and consisted of 2 VOR's, 2 communications, and a transponder. I immediately announced that we just had lost our engine. I then increased angle of attack to best glide at 85 KTS and then went to flow checks. These flow checks consisted of increasing mixtures rich, applying carburetor heat, and switching the fuel selector from both to left side. The engine failed to restart, and we both spotted shenandoah at 12 O'clock position, roughly 4-5 mi. Our altitude was roughly 6700 ft. We both agreed to try to make the field. PIC was busy with both hands, trying to complete restart flows, so I concentrated on the flight controls in order to reduce workload. With that in mind, I kept with the glide down to the airport. It didn't take long to realize that we weren't going to be able to make the runway, but we didn't stop trying. It happened so fast that it's hard to remember all the intricate details. We ended up landing into a dark field, which I now know was a cornfield. Descending down into ground effect, I noticed power lines straight ahead and I remember PIC still trying to restart the engine. I knew we wanted to hit the ground at the slowest airspeed possible. Before we hit, I looked far left to the pilot's side and noticed we were at 40 KTS and flying. Shortly after that, we touched down and came to an abrupt stop. I was knocked out, but I was very much in shock, as was PIC. When the engine failed, it gave neither warning nor much engine roughness. It simply popped loudly twice and went straight to wind-milling. I couldn't really recall looking at the tachometer because cockpit lighting didn't light it. I wish I had more information, but it happened so quickly it's difficult to recall small details. I was not the PIC, however, I did land the airplane in ZZZ, us. I wish I had more information about the flight planning of the flight. I landed the airplane because it was the only thing I could help PIC with. It is a single pilot airplane, but I also was a qualified pilot. In a situation like this, there was nothing more than we could do, but hope for the best.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 FLT CREW HAS ENG FAILURE IN THE VICINITY OF SDA AND MAKES AN OFF FIELD LNDG.

Narrative: PIC AND I WERE APCHING LINCOLN, NE, WHICH WAS THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT FOR THE DAY. WE WERE APPROX 2 HRS AND 45 MINS INTO THE FLT APCHING SHENANDOAH, IA, WHEN OUR ENG FAILED. AT THE TIME, PIC WAS NAVING, LOCATING OUR EXACT POS OFF LCL VOR'S AND I WAS HOLDING A HEADING FOR PIC WHILE HE NAVED. THE PLANE'S NAV EQUIP WAS ON THE LOWER L SIDE AND CONSISTED OF 2 VOR'S, 2 COMS, AND A XPONDER. I IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED THAT WE JUST HAD LOST OUR ENG. I THEN INCREASED ANGLE OF ATTACK TO BEST GLIDE AT 85 KTS AND THEN WENT TO FLOW CHKS. THESE FLOW CHKS CONSISTED OF INCREASING MIXTURES RICH, APPLYING CARB HEAT, AND SWITCHING THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM BOTH TO L SIDE. THE ENG FAILED TO RESTART, AND WE BOTH SPOTTED SHENANDOAH AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, ROUGHLY 4-5 MI. OUR ALT WAS ROUGHLY 6700 FT. WE BOTH AGREED TO TRY TO MAKE THE FIELD. PIC WAS BUSY WITH BOTH HANDS, TRYING TO COMPLETE RESTART FLOWS, SO I CONCENTRATED ON THE FLT CTLS IN ORDER TO REDUCE WORKLOAD. WITH THAT IN MIND, I KEPT WITH THE GLIDE DOWN TO THE ARPT. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RWY, BUT WE DIDN'T STOP TRYING. IT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER ALL THE INTRICATE DETAILS. WE ENDED UP LNDG INTO A DARK FIELD, WHICH I NOW KNOW WAS A CORNFIELD. DSNDING DOWN INTO GND EFFECT, I NOTICED PWR LINES STRAIGHT AHEAD AND I REMEMBER PIC STILL TRYING TO RESTART THE ENG. I KNEW WE WANTED TO HIT THE GND AT THE SLOWEST AIRSPD POSSIBLE. BEFORE WE HIT, I LOOKED FAR L TO THE PLT'S SIDE AND NOTICED WE WERE AT 40 KTS AND FLYING. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE TOUCHED DOWN AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I WAS KNOCKED OUT, BUT I WAS VERY MUCH IN SHOCK, AS WAS PIC. WHEN THE ENG FAILED, IT GAVE NEITHER WARNING NOR MUCH ENG ROUGHNESS. IT SIMPLY POPPED LOUDLY TWICE AND WENT STRAIGHT TO WIND-MILLING. I COULDN'T REALLY RECALL LOOKING AT THE TACHOMETER BECAUSE COCKPIT LIGHTING DIDN'T LIGHT IT. I WISH I HAD MORE INFO, BUT IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY IT'S DIFFICULT TO RECALL SMALL DETAILS. I WAS NOT THE PIC, HOWEVER, I DID LAND THE AIRPLANE IN ZZZ, US. I WISH I HAD MORE INFO ABOUT THE FLT PLANNING OF THE FLT. I LANDED THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD HELP PIC WITH. IT IS A SINGLE PLT AIRPLANE, BUT I ALSO WAS A QUALIFIED PLT. IN A SIT LIKE THIS, THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THAN WE COULD DO, BUT HOPE FOR THE BEST.

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.