Narrative:

Fact: all tanks fueled at oshkosh, gas ticket xxxxx. Fact: engine failure. Fact: forced night landing. Fact: airplane sat unguarded 30 hours before inspector got there to look at it. Fact: airplane set unguarded 30 hours before inspector got there to look at it. Fact: left tank showed 2/5 full, right tank at time of engine failure after forced landing next morning--empty. Speculation on cause of failure: tank not filled properly by fueling personnel. Fuel siphon overboard on ground (100 degree F temperature) or in flight. 85 degree F night temperature. Supposed fuel on board 35 gal, range 525 at 65% power. Indicated airspeed 105 X temperature 85 = altitude 4500 ms. Fact: 255 covered X 2:55. Speculation: inspector found dye marks (red) in crack bowel of carburetor. Possible developed small leak. Pumped fuel overboard. No smell detected in flight. One fact now mentioned discovered by inspector adjuster. Lead pipes from tank to filter were broken off (30 hours on ground before FAA accident inspector arrived). Personal idea: all low wing aircraft should have mode steel rollbar back of seat in case of FLIP over in nose low attitude in forced landing into corn field or weed patches or small gullies, etc. Not fact, speculation: plane within approximately 1 mi of airport. 600'(?) AGL, no rotating beacon to spot airport by. Personal thinking: an airport accepting federal aid should be required to have operational high intensive strobe or rotating beacon lights. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: no conclusion from FAA investigation at this point. Pilot concerned about lack of beacon at washington, ia, airport. Feels strongly he could have glided to airport if beacon to identify location. He knew airport was there. Instead felt it prudent to land in an open area which was lighted and visible below. Cleared power lines, but wing caught guy wire and spun aircraft. ELT never activated because landing so slow. Side thrust action did not activate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE FAILURE, EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: FACT: ALL TANKS FUELED AT OSHKOSH, GAS TICKET XXXXX. FACT: ENG FAILURE. FACT: FORCED NIGHT LNDG. FACT: AIRPLANE SAT UNGUARDED 30 HRS BEFORE INSPECTOR GOT THERE TO LOOK AT IT. FACT: AIRPLANE SET UNGUARDED 30 HRS BEFORE INSPECTOR GOT THERE TO LOOK AT IT. FACT: LEFT TANK SHOWED 2/5 FULL, RIGHT TANK AT TIME OF ENG FAILURE AFTER FORCED LNDG NEXT MORNING--EMPTY. SPECULATION ON CAUSE OF FAILURE: TANK NOT FILLED PROPERLY BY FUELING PERSONNEL. FUEL SIPHON OVERBOARD ON GND (100 DEG F TEMP) OR IN FLT. 85 DEG F NIGHT TEMP. SUPPOSED FUEL ON BOARD 35 GAL, RANGE 525 AT 65% PWR. INDICATED AIRSPD 105 X TEMP 85 = ALT 4500 MS. FACT: 255 COVERED X 2:55. SPECULATION: INSPECTOR FOUND DYE MARKS (RED) IN CRACK BOWEL OF CARB. POSSIBLE DEVELOPED SMALL LEAK. PUMPED FUEL OVERBOARD. NO SMELL DETECTED IN FLT. ONE FACT NOW MENTIONED DISCOVERED BY INSPECTOR ADJUSTER. LEAD PIPES FROM TANK TO FILTER WERE BROKEN OFF (30 HRS ON GND BEFORE FAA ACCIDENT INSPECTOR ARRIVED). PERSONAL IDEA: ALL LOW WING ACFT SHOULD HAVE MODE STEEL ROLLBAR BACK OF SEAT IN CASE OF FLIP OVER IN NOSE LOW ATTITUDE IN FORCED LNDG INTO CORN FIELD OR WEED PATCHES OR SMALL GULLIES, ETC. NOT FACT, SPECULATION: PLANE WITHIN APPROX 1 MI OF ARPT. 600'(?) AGL, NO ROTATING BEACON TO SPOT ARPT BY. PERSONAL THINKING: AN ARPT ACCEPTING FEDERAL AID SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE OPERATIONAL HIGH INTENSIVE STROBE OR ROTATING BEACON LIGHTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: NO CONCLUSION FROM FAA INVESTIGATION AT THIS POINT. PLT CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF BEACON AT WASHINGTON, IA, ARPT. FEELS STRONGLY HE COULD HAVE GLIDED TO ARPT IF BEACON TO IDENT LOCATION. HE KNEW ARPT WAS THERE. INSTEAD FELT IT PRUDENT TO LAND IN AN OPEN AREA WHICH WAS LIGHTED AND VISIBLE BELOW. CLRED POWER LINES, BUT WING CAUGHT GUY WIRE AND SPUN ACFT. ELT NEVER ACTIVATED BECAUSE LNDG SO SLOW. SIDE THRUST ACTION DID NOT ACTIVATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.