Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 39.1; Flight Crew Total 179.0; Flight Crew Type 128.8
Workload; Troubleshooting; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
When I was around 17 NM northwest of the airport at 7;500 feet I contacted the Tower requesting 2 full stop taxi backs and then a northwest bound departure. I was told to enter a left base for Runway XXL and report a 2 mile base. As I was descending down to the airport's traffic pattern altitude I completed the descent and approach checklist and continued to descend. When I was at a 4 mile base Tower contacted me clearing to land on Runway XXL. So I proceeded as cleared. After turning final I did the Landing Checklist and everything seemed normal. Just as I was making my 300 feet stabilized approach callout the engine went from 1500 RPM to 0 RPM; without any sputtering or prior indications of an eminent failure. As the engine quit I contacted Tower telling them that my engine had failed and that I might not be able to make it to the runway. I tried restarting it as best as I could to no avail called up Tower again and said that the engine did not restart and I will not be able to reach the runway. My indicated airspeed was 55 knots at the time of the failure which is the speed on final for this aircraft; I pitched down slightly to get to best glide speed of 73 knots but could reach that speed as I leveled off momentarily to avoid trees and the airport fence; I cleared the fence and landed around 130 feet short of the runway the aircraft bounced and came back down still short of the runway. The aircraft then rolled on to the runway missing the REIL. The aircraft came to a halt on the Runway and I tried restarting the aircraft again; the first to attempts were not successful. On the third attempt the engine started but had a very low RPM for the power setting and very low idling RPM. I taxied the aircraft to the ramp where I proceeded to shut down the aircraft. And tie it down. After which I contacted my school telling them what had just happened.During the run-up check at the previous airport; while doing the engine idle check to make sure the engine does not die with the throttle at idle; it did sputter and almost shut before coming back to normal idling RPM with out any control input from my end; upon doing this check for the second time this did not occur. During the cruise phase of the flight the engine ran at a low CHT and EGT even though proper leaning of the mixture was done.
A DA-20 engine suddenly quit on short final and landed short of the runway but rolled onto it. The pilot then started the engine and while developing low power; was able to taxi to the ramp.