Night flight, early morning, engine quit. Unable to start. Landed gear up on highway.

Attributes
ACN	188903
Time
Date	199109
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : k84
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 604 flight time type : 474
ASRS Report	188903
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off from springfield, mo, airport at night flying back to lee's summit, mo. About 5 mins from lee's summit airport the engine quit running. The week before my partner had magneto problems with this airplane. The first think that comes to mind was the magnetos. I pushed in the lean mixture control, turned to the left to look for winnebago airport. I could not see it, it is closed but I hoped I could see the runway. I didn't. I tried priming the airplane, it didn't do any good. I was looking for a field to land in. I didn't see anything. I turned on the landing lights. I still didn't see anything. I turned them off and still couldn't see anything. I told my wife to look for a place to land. She was the only one with me in the plane. She said she thought she saw a school, on her right. I turned the airplane to the right, which put me going north. I had turned the landing lights back on, trying to see something. As the aircraft lights went across the dual lanes of highway 50 I saw the white lines down the center of the highway. I made a left turn about 50-60 ft above the ground. With landing gear up I landed on highway 50 wbound lane. I forgot to switch tanks before I took off at springfield airport. It was lightning all around in front of us. I had checked the temperature on the engine and the manifold pressure and rpms but not the fuel gauges.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT FLT, EARLY MORNING, ENG QUIT. UNABLE TO START. LANDED GEAR UP ON HIGHWAY.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM SPRINGFIELD, MO, ARPT AT NIGHT FLYING BACK TO LEE'S SUMMIT, MO. ABOUT 5 MINS FROM LEE'S SUMMIT ARPT THE ENG QUIT RUNNING. THE WK BEFORE MY PARTNER HAD MAGNETO PROBLEMS WITH THIS AIRPLANE. THE FIRST THINK THAT COMES TO MIND WAS THE MAGNETOS. I PUSHED IN THE LEAN MIXTURE CTL, TURNED TO THE L TO LOOK FOR WINNEBAGO ARPT. I COULD NOT SEE IT, IT IS CLOSED BUT I HOPED I COULD SEE THE RWY. I DIDN'T. I TRIED PRIMING THE AIRPLANE, IT DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD. I WAS LOOKING FOR A FIELD TO LAND IN. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I TURNED ON THE LNDG LIGHTS. I STILL DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I TURNED THEM OFF AND STILL COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I TOLD MY WIFE TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND. SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH ME IN THE PLANE. SHE SAID SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW A SCHOOL, ON HER R. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE R, WHICH PUT ME GOING N. I HAD TURNED THE LNDG LIGHTS BACK ON, TRYING TO SEE SOMETHING. AS THE ACFT LIGHTS WENT ACROSS THE DUAL LANES OF HIGHWAY 50 I SAW THE WHITE LINES DOWN THE CENTER OF THE HIGHWAY. I MADE A L TURN ABOUT 50-60 FT ABOVE THE GND. WITH LNDG GEAR UP I LANDED ON HIGHWAY 50 WBOUND LANE. I FORGOT TO SWITCH TANKS BEFORE I TOOK OFF AT SPRINGFIELD ARPT. IT WAS LIGHTNING ALL AROUND IN FRONT OF US. I HAD CHKED THE TEMP ON THE ENG AND THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND RPMS BUT NOT THE FUEL GAUGES.

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.