Narrative:

Partial power loss during maneuvers resulted in forced landing on highway (it later turned out that a piece of the carburetor heat flap had broken off and lodged at the venturi throat of carburetor, partially restricting engine's air intake). A return to the airport was not possible due to loss of altitude, so aircraft was secured, engine shut down, and subsequent landing was successful (no damage to aircraft, no injuries). The problem: during rollout, I looked out rear window and saw traffic approaching. I remembered we had partial power, so I turned fuel back on, mixture back rich and restarted. (My genuine concern was not to snarl traffic.) we began to taxi down the highway (I-287) in search of an exit ramp. We continued on for about 1 1/2 - 2 mi until we found an exit ramp. We pulled off and shut down. Local law, FAA and my boss were all there shortly, and no fault was found on my part. The trouble was found, engine was signed off as airworthy, and aircraft was flown off the highway that evening (by boss) with FAA/local law approval. Question: everyone commended my actions, but should I have simply stopped the aircraft once I had landed and backed up traffic for mi? There was no damage, the highway was wide enough, and I was truly trying to keep this situation as clean as possible. It's easy to second-guess my actions (a couple of guys have said they would have bailed out upon landing, and let the feds handle it). But I feel I was correct in my handling of the affair. Yesterday I took the same student to the same place in the same aircraft. You should have seen his face as we circled above the highway!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT EMER FORCED LNDG MADE. ACFT FUEL EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: PARTIAL PWR LOSS DURING MANEUVERS RESULTED IN FORCED LNDG ON HWY (IT LATER TURNED OUT THAT A PIECE OF THE CARB HEAT FLAP HAD BROKEN OFF AND LODGED AT THE VENTURI THROAT OF CARB, PARTIALLY RESTRICTING ENG'S AIR INTAKE). A RETURN TO THE ARPT WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO LOSS OF ALT, SO ACFT WAS SECURED, ENG SHUT DOWN, AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL (NO DAMAGE TO ACFT, NO INJURIES). THE PROB: DURING ROLLOUT, I LOOKED OUT REAR WINDOW AND SAW TFC APCHING. I REMEMBERED WE HAD PARTIAL PWR, SO I TURNED FUEL BACK ON, MIXTURE BACK RICH AND RESTARTED. (MY GENUINE CONCERN WAS NOT TO SNARL TFC.) WE BEGAN TO TAXI DOWN THE HWY (I-287) IN SEARCH OF AN EXIT RAMP. WE CONTINUED ON FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 - 2 MI UNTIL WE FOUND AN EXIT RAMP. WE PULLED OFF AND SHUT DOWN. LCL LAW, FAA AND MY BOSS WERE ALL THERE SHORTLY, AND NO FAULT WAS FOUND ON MY PART. THE TROUBLE WAS FOUND, ENG WAS SIGNED OFF AS AIRWORTHY, AND ACFT WAS FLOWN OFF THE HWY THAT EVENING (BY BOSS) WITH FAA/LCL LAW APPROVAL. QUESTION: EVERYONE COMMENDED MY ACTIONS, BUT SHOULD I HAVE SIMPLY STOPPED THE ACFT ONCE I HAD LANDED AND BACKED UP TFC FOR MI? THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, THE HWY WAS WIDE ENOUGH, AND I WAS TRULY TRYING TO KEEP THIS SIT AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE. IT'S EASY TO SECOND-GUESS MY ACTIONS (A COUPLE OF GUYS HAVE SAID THEY WOULD HAVE BAILED OUT UPON LNDG, AND LET THE FEDS HANDLE IT). BUT I FEEL I WAS CORRECT IN MY HANDLING OF THE AFFAIR. YESTERDAY I TOOK THE SAME STUDENT TO THE SAME PLACE IN THE SAME ACFT. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS FACE AS WE CIRCLED ABOVE THE HWY!

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.