Narrative:

After about 30 mins of flight, began return to lzu. During cruise descent, engine began to lose power. When it became apparent that descent angle would not allow glide to lzu, decision was made to land on a divided highway with 2 concrete lanes in each direction. Planned landing between 2 cars 3/4 - 1 mi apart. Upon aligning with highway, we were confronted with traffic lights on cable across highway. 1 traffic light struck left inboard leading edge, reducing airspeed, so landing was hard. NTSB and FAA judged it an incident, and found 6-10 gallons fuel remaining on board. Both occupants were fully qualified as pilots in aircraft. No injuries to either occupant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter says that he does not know why the aircraft lost power. Other aircraft of this type had a problem with a check valve sticking in a 'header' tank that supplies fuel to the engine when the aircraft is doing acrobatics. This may have been the case here, but the landing was so hard that the check valve would have been jarred open. When the check valve sticks closed, the aircraft will empty the 'header' tank and run out of fuel with fuel in the wing tanks. There is no way to get fuel to the engine except through the 'header' tank. The aircraft was immediately delivered to an aircraft salvage company by the insurance company and has been out of the reporter's hands since the incident. The reporter has replaced the aircraft with another of the same type.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HIT A STOPLIGHT SUPPORT WIRE ON LNDG.

Narrative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

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.