Narrative:

Night before flight topped off main tanks of aircraft. Flight planned, EST time of flight 2:20 hours. Rx was briefing from sioux briefer who described WX as 'clear in path of flight, winds left/V. Takeoff sioux falls 3500 MSL, approximately 25 min out C.O.C. To 7500 to climb above stratus layer. Gave first PIREP to des moines FSS about conditions en route -- patches of low stratus increasing to the east in coverage. Descent to 3500 and continued following freeway. Nodine VOR, WX below becoming increasingly obscure. Noted magnetic compass had increasing error of +20 degree to 35 degree, no longer trusted it. (Approximately) passed 10 NM south of la crosse. 5 min later set gyro to 114 degree, the heading of the outbnd radial from nodine, and turned to heading of 90 degree. This, I felt, was the start of my problem. Climbed again to 5000'. Saw lakes and river, thought it was pentwell lake. Had problems identifying the landmarks and relating it to map. Confusion started. Estimated I had 50 min of fuel on board. Figured that osh was close. Heard tower transmit. Continued in easterly direction. Found hole in clouds and descended to 2000 to get under. Still trying to give positive identification position. Started search pattern to locate positive position. VOR did not pick up anything. Still heard osh. Transmitter was inoperative at sioux falls. Tried to raise osh tower. No response. Also tried to talk to other aircraft who were communicating with osh tower. No results. Located waukesha airport to the north of my position. Thought it was appleton and set up to land. Engine quit. Tried selecting other tanks. Could not restart engine. Made forced landing on highway 'a'. Clipped sign post and knocked out left hand side windows and rear view mirror on automatic. No one was injured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA BECAME LOST ON WAY TO OSH, RAN OUT OF FUEL, LANDED ON HIGHWAY.

Narrative: NIGHT BEFORE FLT TOPPED OFF MAIN TANKS OF ACFT. FLT PLANNED, EST TIME OF FLT 2:20 HRS. RX WAS BRIEFING FROM SIOUX BRIEFER WHO DESCRIBED WX AS 'CLEAR IN PATH OF FLT, WINDS L/V. TKOF SIOUX FALLS 3500 MSL, APPROX 25 MIN OUT C.O.C. TO 7500 TO CLIMB ABOVE STRATUS LAYER. GAVE FIRST PIREP TO DES MOINES FSS ABOUT CONDITIONS EN ROUTE -- PATCHES OF LOW STRATUS INCREASING TO THE E IN COVERAGE. DSCNT TO 3500 AND CONTINUED FOLLOWING FREEWAY. NODINE VOR, WX BELOW BECOMING INCREASINGLY OBSCURE. NOTED MAG COMPASS HAD INCREASING ERROR OF +20 DEG TO 35 DEG, NO LONGER TRUSTED IT. (APPROX) PASSED 10 NM S OF LA CROSSE. 5 MIN LATER SET GYRO TO 114 DEG, THE HDG OF THE OUTBND RADIAL FROM NODINE, AND TURNED TO HDG OF 90 DEG. THIS, I FELT, WAS THE START OF MY PROBLEM. CLIMBED AGAIN TO 5000'. SAW LAKES AND RIVER, THOUGHT IT WAS PENTWELL LAKE. HAD PROBLEMS IDENTIFYING THE LANDMARKS AND RELATING IT TO MAP. CONFUSION STARTED. ESTIMATED I HAD 50 MIN OF FUEL ON BOARD. FIGURED THAT OSH WAS CLOSE. HEARD TWR XMIT. CONTINUED IN EASTERLY DIRECTION. FOUND HOLE IN CLOUDS AND DESCENDED TO 2000 TO GET UNDER. STILL TRYING TO GIVE POSITIVE ID POSITION. STARTED SEARCH PATTERN TO LOCATE POSITIVE POSITION. VOR DID NOT PICK UP ANYTHING. STILL HEARD OSH. TRANSMITTER WAS INOP AT SIOUX FALLS. TRIED TO RAISE OSH TWR. NO RESPONSE. ALSO TRIED TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT WHO WERE COMMUNICATING WITH OSH TWR. NO RESULTS. LOCATED WAUKESHA ARPT TO THE N OF MY POSITION. THOUGHT IT WAS APPLETON AND SET UP TO LAND. ENGINE QUIT. TRIED SELECTING OTHER TANKS. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE. MADE FORCED LNDG ON HWY 'A'. CLIPPED SIGN POST AND KNOCKED OUT LEFT HAND SIDE WINDOWS AND REAR VIEW MIRROR ON AUTO. NO ONE WAS INJURED.

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.