GA SMA ENGINE FAILURE. OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative

ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 15 AT KISSIMMEE ARPT I EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE AT 800-900' ABOVE SEA LEVEL AT A DISTANCE OF 2 1/2-3 MI FROM THE RWY. BECAUSE OF THE RAPID SINK RATE OF THE SMA; I REALIZED I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE ARPT. THERE WERE ALSO OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE PATH TOWARDS THE RWY SUCH AS MALLS; HOUSES AND A MAJOR HWY 192 WHICH AFFORDED GREAT DANGER TO OTHERS AND MYSELF IF I KEPT ALONG THE ORIGINAL ROUTE. INSTANTANEOUSLY I DECIDED FOR AN OFF THE FIELD LNDG ON A CLR PASTURE IN A FARM TO MY RIGHT AND HEAD FOR IT. I LANDED WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE (NOSE GEAR AND PROP BROKE AND 2 DENTS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WINGS FROM IMPACT OF THE FENCE POSTS. I WALKED OUT W/O A SCRATCH. BOTH THE SHERIFF AND THE LCL FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS WERE THERE WITHIN 2 1/2 HRS OF THE INCIDENT. DEPARTING THAT AFTERNOON 3/88 AT XA30 LCL TIME FROM TAMIAMI ARPT FOR A VFR TRIP TO KISSIMMEE; I CHKED FOR FUEL IN THE TANK AS WELL AS THE FUEL GAUGE ON BOARD; AND FELT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT GAS ON BOARD FOR THE TRIP. THE FAA INSPECTOR SAW THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE MAIN TANK AND ALSO SAW THAT THE FUEL GAUGE READ 1/4 FULL WITH THE MASTER SWITCH ON. I DID NOT HAVE ON BOARD THE CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS LOGBOOKS FOR AIRPLANE AND ENG; NOR DID I HAVE MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL CARD AT THE TIME. I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE AIRPLANE IN OCT AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REGISTERING IT AND HAD THE OTHER DOCUMENTS AT MY ATTORNEY'S AND AT MY HOME IN MIAMI. I NOW HAVE THESE AND I HAVE GIVEN THIS INFO BY PHONE TO OPS INSPECTOR AT THE ORLANDO FAA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT IN 3/88. I AM TODAY; 3/88; SENDING A PHOTO COPY OF THESE BY REGISTERED MAIL FOR THEIR FILES. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR; DID NOT SEE IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT NOR BACK OF FUSELAGE AN ELT. WHEN I BOUGHT THE ACFT I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD ONE AND WAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION; XC00 PM WITH A FLASHLIGHT; THERE WAS NONE. THE AIRPLANE HAD ITS ANNUAL LAST YEAR AND WAS GIVEN A CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS WHICH I AM INCLUDING WITH OTHER ITEMS. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT IN MY 22 YRS OF FLYING AND I CURRENTLY OWN AN LTT WITH ALL INSTRUMENTS WORKING ACCURATELY AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED WITH THE HIGHEST STANDARDS. MY MISTAKE WAS TRUSTING OLD GAUGES; RELYING TOO HEAVILY IN THE FACT THAT IF AN ANNUAL WAS PASSED EVERYTHING WAS OK AND THE FACT THAT I BOUGHT THIS ACFT FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS WHO DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SMA'S AND COULD NOT GIVE ME A HALF DSCNT CHKOUT. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT; I HAD JOINED THE SMA CLUB JUST SO I COULD TALK TO OTHERS ABOUT THIS CLASSIC AIRPLANE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT; BUT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO SO UNTIL NOW. I HOLD A CURRENT LICENSE; COMMERCIAL; INST AND MULTIENG AND A CURRENT CLASS 2 MEDICAL OF WHICH COPIES I AM SUBMITTING TO YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ACFT WAS NOT OUT OF FUEL BUT THAT THE ACFT ACTUALLY HAD AN ENG FAILURE AND THE ACFT IS NOW BEING REPAIRED. THE FAA HAS NOT FAULTED THE PLT AND IN FACT HE HAS NOW RECEIVED HIS REGISTRATION FOR THE ACFT FROM FAA.