Narrative:

On a VFR flight from port columbus, oh, I was in the vicinity of bluefield and pulaski when I experienced a sudden loss of power while cruising at 11500 ft MSL. I was about 1 hour 30 mins into the flight. I contacted atlanta ATC which I had been monitoring (no flight plan) to declare an emergency and began squawking 7700. I was concurrently switching fuel tanks, turning on the auxiliary fuel boost pump, switching magnetos, and pressing the buttons on the emergency locator of my LORAN. The ATC controller confirmed what the LORAN was revealing, i.e., mercer county (princeton, wv) was the closest available airport. However, the LORAN also noted that I needed more altitude than was available to make the airport at the appropriate glide speed with no wind conditions. I knew that I would be confronting a strong headwind in that direction as well. I then began looking for a suitable landing site while continuing to attempt to diagnose the problem. I noted, for example, that my oil pressure was in the green and my temperature indicators were cooling from an otherwise normal range. The engine continued to sputter and occasionally pop. It reminded me of an engine which was out of electrical timing. ATC asked me to continue broadcasting to another aircraft all the way down. I willingly obliged although I do not know how much the other pilot heard. Once I knew that an emergency was highly probable, I told ATC that I had no field suitable for a safe landing but that a 4 lane highway was off my left wing to the south (I had proceeded from a southerly heading to a westerly one when I had thought that I might make it to mercer county airport). ATC suggested that interstate 77 was probably directly ahead of me. However, it was my judgement that I would not have sufficient altitude to make a circle to land if I continued to that position. I also suspected that it would be more heavily traveled. I chose instead to study the terrain and flow of traffic below me while I had time to do so. ATC had confirmed that the surface winds were from the northwest in this area. I chose a stretch of road which wouldpermit an uphill approach and landing. I wanted to land in as short a distance as possible while giving the traffic behind me plenty of time to slow down. I also wanted to have a chance of taking off of the road should all go as well as I hoped. The landing and rollout were as planned. I immediately closed the electrical switches, turned off the fuel selector, and turned off my supplemental oxygen (hindsight might suggest that I turn it off prior to the landing. I simply forgot that I had it on as it is my custom to use it routinely on such a trip). There was no fire or indication of the cause of the engine failure. The propeller had stopped when I closed the throttle on short final. I exited the aircraft but saw no reason to leave it on the roadway. Several men offered to push it across an intersection off us united states route 460 at the possum hollow road. A wv natural resources officer (also a division of the state highway patrol) offered me a ride to the headquarters to permit my use of a telephone. I called atlanta ATC, elkins FSS, charleston FAA, and spoke with an indianapolis ATC supervisor who atlanta had called while I was on my way down. I gave them and the local officials as much information as they required. What I was told by the charleston official was essentially declaring an emergency left me to 'break any rule to insure the safe conclusion of the flight.' as a consequence, if the highway patrol agreed, I was free to takeoff once the aircraft was airworthy again. After obtaining the services of a mechanic from beckley, wv, I returned to the aircraft to conduct an inspection. The problem was the magneto gear assembly wear which resulted north both magnetos failing at the same time. The cogs which open the contact points were worn and failed simultaneously as I understand it. I know that this is an unusual circumstance but it seems to be what happened. After repair of the magneto assembly the next morning, I successfully flew off the highway with the aid of the highway patrol and cap. I wish to add that the cap secured and guarded the aircraft from curiosity seekers all night such that I could get rest. Everyone from the natural resources, highway patrol, and cap were terrifically helpful and considerate. I proceeded to my destination without further incident although I flew with a VFR flight plan and contacted atlanta ATC to thank them for their help the day before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA AT CRUISE HAS ENG FAILURE. EMER LNDG ON HWY.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT FROM PORT COLUMBUS, OH, I WAS IN THE VICINITY OF BLUEFIELD AND PULASKI WHEN I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF PWR WHILE CRUISING AT 11500 FT MSL. I WAS ABOUT 1 HR 30 MINS INTO THE FLT. I CONTACTED ATLANTA ATC WHICH I HAD BEEN MONITORING (NO FLT PLAN) TO DECLARE AN EMER AND BEGAN SQUAWKING 7700. I WAS CONCURRENTLY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS, TURNING ON THE AUX FUEL BOOST PUMP, SWITCHING MAGNETOS, AND PRESSING THE BUTTONS ON THE EMER LOCATOR OF MY LORAN. THE ATC CTLR CONFIRMED WHAT THE LORAN WAS REVEALING, I.E., MERCER COUNTY (PRINCETON, WV) WAS THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE LORAN ALSO NOTED THAT I NEEDED MORE ALT THAN WAS AVAILABLE TO MAKE THE ARPT AT THE APPROPRIATE GLIDE SPD WITH NO WIND CONDITIONS. I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE CONFRONTING A STRONG HEADWIND IN THAT DIRECTION AS WELL. I THEN BEGAN LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LNDG SITE WHILE CONTINUING TO ATTEMPT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB. I NOTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MY OIL PRESSURE WAS IN THE GREEN AND MY TEMP INDICATORS WERE COOLING FROM AN OTHERWISE NORMAL RANGE. THE ENG CONTINUED TO SPUTTER AND OCCASIONALLY POP. IT REMINDED ME OF AN ENG WHICH WAS OUT OF ELECTRICAL TIMING. ATC ASKED ME TO CONTINUE BROADCASTING TO ANOTHER ACFT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I WILLINGLY OBLIGED ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THE OTHER PLT HEARD. ONCE I KNEW THAT AN EMER WAS HIGHLY PROBABLE, I TOLD ATC THAT I HAD NO FIELD SUITABLE FOR A SAFE LNDG BUT THAT A 4 LANE HWY WAS OFF MY L WING TO THE S (I HAD PROCEEDED FROM A SOUTHERLY HDG TO A WESTERLY ONE WHEN I HAD THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT MAKE IT TO MERCER COUNTY ARPT). ATC SUGGESTED THAT INTERSTATE 77 WAS PROBABLY DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME. HOWEVER, IT WAS MY JUDGEMENT THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALT TO MAKE A CIRCLE TO LAND IF I CONTINUED TO THAT POS. I ALSO SUSPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE MORE HEAVILY TRAVELED. I CHOSE INSTEAD TO STUDY THE TERRAIN AND FLOW OF TFC BELOW ME WHILE I HAD TIME TO DO SO. ATC HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM THE NW IN THIS AREA. I CHOSE A STRETCH OF ROAD WHICH WOULDPERMIT AN UPHILL APCH AND LNDG. I WANTED TO LAND IN AS SHORT A DISTANCE AS POSSIBLE WHILE GIVING THE TFC BEHIND ME PLENTY OF TIME TO SLOW DOWN. I ALSO WANTED TO HAVE A CHANCE OF TAKING OFF OF THE ROAD SHOULD ALL GO AS WELL AS I HOPED. THE LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE AS PLANNED. I IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE ELECTRICAL SWITCHES, TURNED OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR, AND TURNED OFF MY SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN (HINDSIGHT MIGHT SUGGEST THAT I TURN IT OFF PRIOR TO THE LNDG. I SIMPLY FORGOT THAT I HAD IT ON AS IT IS MY CUSTOM TO USE IT ROUTINELY ON SUCH A TRIP). THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INDICATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE. THE PROP HAD STOPPED WHEN I CLOSED THE THROTTLE ON SHORT FINAL. I EXITED THE ACFT BUT SAW NO REASON TO LEAVE IT ON THE ROADWAY. SEVERAL MEN OFFERED TO PUSH IT ACROSS AN INTXN OFF US UNITED STATES RTE 460 AT THE POSSUM HOLLOW ROAD. A WV NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICER (ALSO A DIVISION OF THE STATE HWY PATROL) OFFERED ME A RIDE TO THE HEADQUARTERS TO PERMIT MY USE OF A TELEPHONE. I CALLED ATLANTA ATC, ELKINS FSS, CHARLESTON FAA, AND SPOKE WITH AN INDIANAPOLIS ATC SUPVR WHO ATLANTA HAD CALLED WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY DOWN. I GAVE THEM AND THE LCL OFFICIALS AS MUCH INFO AS THEY REQUIRED. WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE CHARLESTON OFFICIAL WAS ESSENTIALLY DECLARING AN EMER LEFT ME TO 'BREAK ANY RULE TO INSURE THE SAFE CONCLUSION OF THE FLT.' AS A CONSEQUENCE, IF THE HWY PATROL AGREED, I WAS FREE TO TKOF ONCE THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY AGAIN. AFTER OBTAINING THE SVCS OF A MECH FROM BECKLEY, WV, I RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO CONDUCT AN INSPECTION. THE PROB WAS THE MAGNETO GEAR ASSEMBLY WEAR WHICH RESULTED N BOTH MAGNETOS FAILING AT THE SAME TIME. THE COGS WHICH OPEN THE CONTACT POINTS WERE WORN AND FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY AS I UNDERSTAND IT. I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE BUT IT SEEMS TO BE WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER REPAIR OF THE MAGNETO ASSEMBLY THE NEXT MORNING, I SUCCESSFULLY FLEW OFF THE HWY WITH THE AID OF THE HWY PATROL AND CAP. I WISH TO ADD THAT THE CAP SECURED AND GUARDED THE ACFT FROM CURIOSITY SEEKERS ALL NIGHT SUCH THAT I COULD GET REST. EVERYONE FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES, HWY PATROL, AND CAP WERE TERRIFICALLY HELPFUL AND CONSIDERATE. I PROCEEDED TO MY DEST WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT ALTHOUGH I FLEW WITH A VFR FLT PLAN AND CONTACTED ATLANTA ATC TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP THE DAY BEFORE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.