Narrative:

I took off to the south and obtained an IFR clearance from las vegas approach to montgomery field. Climb was uneventful, and at my cruising altitude of 10000 ft I leveled off, full throttle, in IMC conditions in V538. I was cruising for approximately 10 to 15 mins when I noticed a sudden drop in cabin temperature. I scanned all the instruments at this point, and all appeared to be functioning normally. The OAT was indicated at -15 C. I looked at the winds and windshield for ice, but none was evident. About 30 seconds later the end indicated a slight roughness, and 15 seconds after that the engine quit completely. My position on V538 was over the mccullough mountain range. I immediately applied carburetor heat, switched on fuel boost pump and changed fuel tanks. Fuel pressure was normal. The engine would not restart, so I started to descend. During descent I was continuously throttling the engine to try to get some power, but it continued to windmill all the way down. I kept carburetor heat on and throttle in for the last 1000 ft until final approach, hoping for a response, until I finally pulled the throttle and landed on the road. The only damage to the aircraft was incurred on rollout when mi markers on either side of the road impacted the wings. (It was only a 15-20 ft wide road). No injuries of any type were sustained by myself or my passenger. No vehicle was on the road at the time. At no time through the entire flight was ice evident on any part of the airplane. 15 mins after landing I restarted the engine with little effort, and pulled 2000 RPM. The engine had not lost any oil during the flight. All aircraft systems were operational. The problem was clearly carburetor icing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN SMA IN IMC CRUISE HAD ENG FAILURE. FORCED LNDG ON HIGHWAY.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF TO THE S AND OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC FROM LAS VEGAS APCH TO MONTGOMERY FIELD. CLB WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND AT MY CRUISING ALT OF 10000 FT I LEVELED OFF, FULL THROTTLE, IN IMC CONDITIONS IN V538. I WAS CRUISING FOR APPROX 10 TO 15 MINS WHEN I NOTICED A SUDDEN DROP IN CABIN TEMP. I SCANNED ALL THE INSTS AT THIS POINT, AND ALL APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE OAT WAS INDICATED AT -15 C. I LOOKED AT THE WINDS AND WINDSHIELD FOR ICE, BUT NONE WAS EVIDENT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER THE END INDICATED A SLIGHT ROUGHNESS, AND 15 SECONDS AFTER THAT THE ENG QUIT COMPLETELY. MY POSITION ON V538 WAS OVER THE MCCULLOUGH MOUNTAIN RANGE. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CARB HEAT, SWITCHED ON FUEL BOOST PUMP AND CHANGED FUEL TANKS. FUEL PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. THE ENG WOULD NOT RESTART, SO I STARTED TO DSND. DURING DSCNT I WAS CONTINUOUSLY THROTTLING THE ENG TO TRY TO GET SOME PWR, BUT IT CONTINUED TO WINDMILL ALL THE WAY DOWN. I KEPT CARB HEAT ON AND THROTTLE IN FOR THE LAST 1000 FT UNTIL FINAL APCH, HOPING FOR A RESPONSE, UNTIL I FINALLY PULLED THE THROTTLE AND LANDED ON THE ROAD. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS INCURRED ON ROLLOUT WHEN MI MARKERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD IMPACTED THE WINGS. (IT WAS ONLY A 15-20 FT WIDE ROAD). NO INJURIES OF ANY TYPE WERE SUSTAINED BY MYSELF OR MY PAX. NO VEHICLE WAS ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. AT NO TIME THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLT WAS ICE EVIDENT ON ANY PART OF THE AIRPLANE. 15 MINS AFTER LNDG I RESTARTED THE ENG WITH LITTLE EFFORT, AND PULLED 2000 RPM. THE ENG HAD NOT LOST ANY OIL DURING THE FLT. ALL ACFT SYSTEMS WERE OPERATIONAL. THE PROBLEM WAS CLRLY CARB ICING.

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.