IAD05LA103

About 30 minutes after departure, and while cruising at 1,000 msl, the engine began to gradually lose power. Over the next 3 minutes, the pilot attempted to restore engine power, but was unsuccessful. He subsequently performed a forced landing to a farm field. During the landing, the airplane's landing gear sunk into the soft ground, and the right wing contacted the ground. The pilot stated that prior to departure, the airplane's fuel tanks contained a combination of aviation and automotive fuel. The airplane did not have a supplemental type certificate for the use of automotive fuel. The airplane was owned, operated, and maintained by the pilot, who did not possess a mechanic certificate. External examination of the airplane did not reveal mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine, and further examination of the airplane or the engine was not possible.

On July 18, 2005, about 1845 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N4797L, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, near Denton, Maryland. The certificated private pilot/owner received minor injuries, and the 3 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 local personal flight, which departed from a private airstrip in Goldsboro, Maryland, about 1815.

According to the pilot, about 30 minutes after departure, the airplane was in cruise at 1,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), when the engine began to gradually lose power. Over the next 3 minutes, the pilot attempted to restore engine power, but was unsuccessful. He also noted that both fuel pressure and oil pressure indications were "good."

The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a farm field. During the landing, the airplane's landing gear sunk into the soft ground, and the right wing contacted the ground.

The pilot additionally stated that the airplane's fuel tanks contained about 10 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel, to which he added 11 additional gallons of automotive gasoline, prior to departure. He also stated that the airplane did not have a supplemental type certificate for the use of automotive fuel.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was maintained by the pilot, who did not possess a mechanic certificate. During the inspector's initial examination of the airplane following the accident, other than noting its generally "poor" condition, he did not find any obvious mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine. He was unable to examine the airplane further, and was also unable to inspect the airplane's maintenance logs, or the pilot's flight logs.

A search of the FAA airman database revealed that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent application for an FAA third class medical certificate, dated June 20, 2003, revealed that he had accumulated 2,840 total hours of flight experience.

The weather reported at Easton/Newnam Field, located about 12 nautical miles west, at 1845, included winds from 280 degrees at 4 knots, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and dew point 52 degrees Fahrenheit.