20240327004049I

Ohio state patrol:

Registration: redacted / make/model: C172

Operator: redacted

4, T'ype of activity: personal

5. Brief description of circumstances surrounding occurrence:

N..... - experienced engine failure and made an emergency landing in a field, 2.5NM e of Xenia, OH.

6. Weather data:

Kday 2710562 23008KT 1 0SM OVC022 04/02 A2995

Pilot statement:

Events of the morning of March 27, 2024

I had a check-ride scheduled for 9AM at the greene county airport. 'Redacted' was to be the DPE for this exam.

I arrived at the pickaway county airport, cyo, close to 7AM. I did the pre-trip inspection and found nothing to make the plane, n....., not airworthy. I departed cyo a little after 7:30AM. I departed runway 01. I completed one landing with a full stop. I wanted one practice landing before I started the exam at greene co airport, gdk.

After departing runway 01, I headed west toward greene co. I climbed to an altitude of 3,000FT. The plane was handling well and the engine was running fine. I was having no problems. As I approached the intersection of rt 35 and RT71, I saw a large cloud stretching across the horizon. I immediately got the greene co AWOS on the radio and checked for weather conditions. The AWOS told of a ceiling of 2500FT. The pattern altitude at gdk is 2000FT. I felt I would still be within VFR conditions to continue to gdk.

I began to gradually descend to 2000FT to stay clear of the ceiling at 2500FT, per AWOS. It was at this point I noticed the engine beginning to run strangely. It was nothing major or alarming. Over the next few minutes I notice the engine losing some power. I increased the throttle to almost full and tried to maintain altitude.

I began to realize I was losing power at a slow but steady rate, and I was beginning to become concerned I would not make it to gdk. At this point I began making radio calls to gdk in an attempt to let someone know where I was and the situation I was in. I made 3 or 4 radio calls (if not more) to gdk with no response. This was about 8:15AM.

I set the plane for maximum glide and tried to maintain altitude as I made the radio calls. I was about 600/500 AGL at this time. I realized I was not going to make the airport. I began to look for places to land as I managed the plane in a slow flight-max glide configuration into a 10-15 kt headwind.

I saw a soy bean field to my left and beneath me. At this point I was only about 400FT AGL. I made the decision to make that soy bean field my landing spot.

I made a final radio call to gdk about going to land in the field. I remember saying on radio to gdk, “greene county traffic: Cessna n....., I am about 5 miles east of greene county airport and I am not going to make the airport. I am going down. I’m about to do a power off 180 to land in a field. Turing base and final now. Cessna n....”—that is the last radio communication I remember saying/having. No one from gdk, or traffic in the area, responded to any of my communications in any way shape or form.

I turned base and final knowing the landing would be with the wind at my back. I remember thinking about the wind pushing me as I came down, causing a farther touch-down point. I felt this was the best option I had and took a little steeper decent to the ground. I remember wanting to stop the plane before the end of the field, and felt it might be close to me running off the end of the field and into some small trees. I touched down going a little faster than normal. I performed a short and soft field landing. The plane came to a stop within a few steps of the edge of the field. I shut the plane down. I then calmed myself for a few seconds. I then cell called 'redacted', the DPE I was going to meet, and informed him of what happened. Mr. 'redacted' gave me some advice on what would happen in the next few minutes and hours. I then called a few friends and family to let them know I was fine and the plane was not damaged.

Block 29: pilot is a student, so all answers are 'no.'