Narrative:

My plane had just had it's annual done at the local FBO, a place where I had had my annual done for several yrs because of it's reputation for careful, meticulous work. I paid the bill, and then pulled my plane out of the hangar where it had been placed. I did a more thorough preflight perhaps, than usual, because this was the first flight after the annual. In checking the oil in the oil tank (separate from the 'dry sump' in this model). There was oil on the chain below the dip stick, as is normal after the plane sits for awhile. The oil always seeps down from the oil tank into the sump, and is never on the dipstick itself, which reads down to 7 quarts, even when full. I got in, started the plane, and the engine ran smoothly. I taxied to the holding area next to the runway. And ran the engine up, cycled the electric propeller in both the automatic and the manual modes, and did the other preflight maneuvers as usual, including the mags check, all of which were normal. The cylinder head temperature and the oil pressure temperature were all in the bottom of the green as was customary. Radioing for clearance on-the unicom frequency, I taxied onto runway 27, rolled in full power on the throttle, and taxied down the runway. The plane did not seem to pick up speed as rapidly as customary, and the tachometer read only 2300. The cruise setting, instead of the full takeoff setting of 2600. I cycled the manual-to-automatic switch lever on the electric propeller without effect. I then pushed the manual override to increase the propeller speed, again to no effect. By this time the plane had lifted off the runway which was 3000 ft long, and I was committed to fly, the end of the runway just a short distance ahead. Flying speed was slow to build up, even with the cruise setting of the propeller, and I left the gear down for a prolonged period because of difficulty of gaining sufficient altitude. Fortunately there was a long valley to the west between two ridges upon which were a number of homes. Finally getting sufficient altitude, I brought up the gear to gain more altitude, hoping to beable to turn back to the runway. Even that option soon became impossible as the plane began to lose altitude, still under full power. I looked for space in the eastbound traffic, in the direction I was going, and dropped the gear. There was adequate space with only one car in the way, and I felt I could fly over it before dropping to the ground. I was going about 80 mph at the time (IAS). The one car, however, heard me or saw me coming, and pulled off to the side, and I made an uneventful landing, coasting down the highway a little ways toward the grain valley exit. I pulled partly off into the median, but was unable to pull over completely because of the sharp ditch. The wing was nearly against the rising turf on the other side. I shut the plane down by pulling out the throttle and the mixture, and shut off the gas tanks. The cylinder head temperature by this time was in the red. I got out and checked the oil. None registered. I had radioed that I was going to have to land on I-70, and again radioed that I had landed safely. Under supervision of the FAA, the following day, the sump was drained and there was just a tiny bit of oil left. The bottom of the plane was covered with light oil. At this juncture it has not been determined whether the oil was inadequately filled, or leaked out, or both. To my present understanding, having talked with a number of small aircraft pilots and mechanics, I do not believe it would be possible to absolutely check the oil level prior to flight without starting the engine first and running the oil up into the oil tank, at which time it could be reliably checked. I always check the oil after a flight, when the tank is at its most full state, adding adequate oil to bring it up at that time. The plane is parked in my hangar and any significant oil leak would be obvious, and so I have come to trust the fact that the oil is sufficient by looking at the chain. It is obvious to me that, in a similar circumstance in the future, where someone has changed the oil, and I have not been there to observe the replacement of it, that I should start the engine and run it for a short time, stopping it and rechking the oil to absolutely determine its presence. I feel very fortunate and frankly blessed, that I was able to land without any incident or injury to myself or to others. I certainly learned not to trust, totally, the performance of others in regards to my plane, in areas that I have some possibility of checking, in spite of my past experience with them or their reputation. Supplemental information from acn 208375: I am writing this report on the morning after the incident in which had an emergency landing on I-70 at grain valley, mo. The pilot called for an annual inspection on his small aircraft. So other mechanic Z and I towed it out of his hangar. We conducted the annual as per our usual practices. Z had told me that he had put oil in the airplane. Later in the evening we needed some more room in the hangar so we moved the plane back to his hangar. I signed off the logbooks with a 100 hour inspection and our ia completed his inspection for the annual. We normally run the engine to verify that everything is working properly. Returning the airplane to its hangar out of our usual sequence broke down the procedure of running the engine and I forgot to go back and run the engine. I feel very bad for having let this incident occur and will take every precaution to keep it from happening again. Supplemental information from acn 208380: I inspected this aircraft for an annual inspection after the aircraft had been opened and inspected for a 100 hour inspection. When I came back to sign the annual, the aircraft had already been returned to its storage hangar. The annual was signed apr/wed/92. On apr/sun/92, the owner flew the aircraft for the first flight since the annual. He consequently had an emergency landing on i- 70 just north of the airport because the engine lost power. Upon investigation, it was found there was no oil in the engine. The shop's normal procedures include checking oil quantities and test running of engines before returning them to service. I do not know how it happened that these procedures were not followed. I am very thankful that there were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. I am very concerned that this kind of thing does not happen again in any way wherever I work. I do not know if oil was or was not put in the engine. I do not know if the engine has an undetected oil leak. I do know that if normal procedures had been followed this incident probably would not have happened. Believe me, I personally shall make every effort to see that something like this never happens again, especially if I can control it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG WHEN ENG FAILURE APPEARS TO BE IMMINENT.

Narrative: MY PLANE HAD JUST HAD IT'S ANNUAL DONE AT THE LCL FBO, A PLACE WHERE I HAD HAD MY ANNUAL DONE FOR SEVERAL YRS BECAUSE OF IT'S REPUTATION FOR CAREFUL, METICULOUS WORK. I PAID THE BILL, AND THEN PULLED MY PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR WHERE IT HAD BEEN PLACED. I DID A MORE THOROUGH PREFLT PERHAPS, THAN USUAL, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER THE ANNUAL. IN CHKING THE OIL IN THE OIL TANK (SEPARATE FROM THE 'DRY SUMP' IN THIS MODEL). THERE WAS OIL ON THE CHAIN BELOW THE DIP STICK, AS IS NORMAL AFTER THE PLANE SITS FOR AWHILE. THE OIL ALWAYS SEEPS DOWN FROM THE OIL TANK INTO THE SUMP, AND IS NEVER ON THE DIPSTICK ITSELF, WHICH READS DOWN TO 7 QUARTS, EVEN WHEN FULL. I GOT IN, STARTED THE PLANE, AND THE ENG RAN SMOOTHLY. I TAXIED TO THE HOLDING AREA NEXT TO THE RWY. AND RAN THE ENG UP, CYCLED THE ELECTRIC PROP IN BOTH THE AUTOMATIC AND THE MANUAL MODES, AND DID THE OTHER PREFLT MANEUVERS AS USUAL, INCLUDING THE MAGS CHK, ALL OF WHICH WERE NORMAL. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMP AND THE OIL PRESSURE TEMP WERE ALL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN AS WAS CUSTOMARY. RADIOING FOR CLRNC ON-THE UNICOM FREQ, I TAXIED ONTO RWY 27, ROLLED IN FULL PWR ON THE THROTTLE, AND TAXIED DOWN THE RWY. THE PLANE DID NOT SEEM TO PICK UP SPD AS RAPIDLY AS CUSTOMARY, AND THE TACHOMETER READ ONLY 2300. THE CRUISE SETTING, INSTEAD OF THE FULL TKOF SETTING OF 2600. I CYCLED THE MANUAL-TO-AUTOMATIC SWITCH LEVER ON THE ELECTRIC PROP WITHOUT EFFECT. I THEN PUSHED THE MANUAL OVERRIDE TO INCREASE THE PROP SPD, AGAIN TO NO EFFECT. BY THIS TIME THE PLANE HAD LIFTED OFF THE RWY WHICH WAS 3000 FT LONG, AND I WAS COMMITTED TO FLY, THE END OF THE RWY JUST A SHORT DISTANCE AHEAD. FLYING SPD WAS SLOW TO BUILD UP, EVEN WITH THE CRUISE SETTING OF THE PROP, AND I LEFT THE GEAR DOWN FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTY OF GAINING SUFFICIENT ALT. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A LONG VALLEY TO THE W BTWN TWO RIDGES UPON WHICH WERE A NUMBER OF HOMES. FINALLY GETTING SUFFICIENT ALT, I BROUGHT UP THE GEAR TO GAIN MORE ALT, HOPING TO BEABLE TO TURN BACK TO THE RWY. EVEN THAT OPTION SOON BECAME IMPOSSIBLE AS THE PLANE BEGAN TO LOSE ALT, STILL UNDER FULL PWR. I LOOKED FOR SPACE IN THE EBOUND TFC, IN THE DIRECTION I WAS GOING, AND DROPPED THE GEAR. THERE WAS ADEQUATE SPACE WITH ONLY ONE CAR IN THE WAY, AND I FELT I COULD FLY OVER IT BEFORE DROPPING TO THE GND. I WAS GOING ABOUT 80 MPH AT THE TIME (IAS). THE ONE CAR, HOWEVER, HEARD ME OR SAW ME COMING, AND PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE, AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG, COASTING DOWN THE HWY A LITTLE WAYS TOWARD THE GRAIN VALLEY EXIT. I PULLED PARTLY OFF INTO THE MEDIAN, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PULL OVER COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF THE SHARP DITCH. THE WING WAS NEARLY AGAINST THE RISING TURF ON THE OTHER SIDE. I SHUT THE PLANE DOWN BY PULLING OUT THE THROTTLE AND THE MIXTURE, AND SHUT OFF THE GAS TANKS. THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMP BY THIS TIME WAS IN THE RED. I GOT OUT AND CHKED THE OIL. NONE REGISTERED. I HAD RADIOED THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO LAND ON I-70, AND AGAIN RADIOED THAT I HAD LANDED SAFELY. UNDER SUPERVISION OF THE FAA, THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE SUMP WAS DRAINED AND THERE WAS JUST A TINY BIT OF OIL LEFT. THE BOTTOM OF THE PLANE WAS COVERED WITH LIGHT OIL. AT THIS JUNCTURE IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED WHETHER THE OIL WAS INADEQUATELY FILLED, OR LEAKED OUT, OR BOTH. TO MY PRESENT UNDERSTANDING, HAVING TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF SMA PLTS AND MECHS, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ABSOLUTELY CHK THE OIL LEVEL PRIOR TO FLT WITHOUT STARTING THE ENG FIRST AND RUNNING THE OIL UP INTO THE OIL TANK, AT WHICH TIME IT COULD BE RELIABLY CHKED. I ALWAYS CHK THE OIL AFTER A FLT, WHEN THE TANK IS AT ITS MOST FULL STATE, ADDING ADEQUATE OIL TO BRING IT UP AT THAT TIME. THE PLANE IS PARKED IN MY HANGAR AND ANY SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAK WOULD BE OBVIOUS, AND SO I HAVE COME TO TRUST THE FACT THAT THE OIL IS SUFFICIENT BY LOOKING AT THE CHAIN. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT, IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE IN THE FUTURE, WHERE SOMEONE HAS CHANGED THE OIL, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN THERE TO OBSERVE THE REPLACEMENT OF IT, THAT I SHOULD START THE ENG AND RUN IT FOR A SHORT TIME, STOPPING IT AND RECHKING THE OIL TO ABSOLUTELY DETERMINE ITS PRESENCE. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE AND FRANKLY BLESSED, THAT I WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR INJURY TO MYSELF OR TO OTHERS. I CERTAINLY LEARNED NOT TO TRUST, TOTALLY, THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHERS IN REGARDS TO MY PLANE, IN AREAS THAT I HAVE SOME POSSIBILITY OF CHKING, IN SPITE OF MY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THEM OR THEIR REPUTATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 208375: I AM WRITING THIS RPT ON THE MORNING AFTER THE INCIDENT IN WHICH HAD AN EMER LNDG ON I-70 AT GRAIN VALLEY, MO. THE PLT CALLED FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON HIS SMA. SO OTHER MECH Z AND I TOWED IT OUT OF HIS HANGAR. WE CONDUCTED THE ANNUAL AS PER OUR USUAL PRACTICES. Z HAD TOLD ME THAT HE HAD PUT OIL IN THE AIRPLANE. LATER IN THE EVENING WE NEEDED SOME MORE ROOM IN THE HANGAR SO WE MOVED THE PLANE BACK TO HIS HANGAR. I SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOKS WITH A 100 HR INSPECTION AND OUR IA COMPLETED HIS INSPECTION FOR THE ANNUAL. WE NORMALLY RUN THE ENG TO VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING PROPERLY. RETURNING THE AIRPLANE TO ITS HANGAR OUT OF OUR USUAL SEQUENCE BROKE DOWN THE PROC OF RUNNING THE ENG AND I FORGOT TO GO BACK AND RUN THE ENG. I FEEL VERY BAD FOR HAVING LET THIS INCIDENT OCCUR AND WILL TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 208380: I INSPECTED THIS ACFT FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AFTER THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPENED AND INSPECTED FOR A 100 HR INSPECTION. WHEN I CAME BACK TO SIGN THE ANNUAL, THE ACFT HAD ALREADY BEEN RETURNED TO ITS STORAGE HANGAR. THE ANNUAL WAS SIGNED APR/WED/92. ON APR/SUN/92, THE OWNER FLEW THE ACFT FOR THE FIRST FLT SINCE THE ANNUAL. HE CONSEQUENTLY HAD AN EMER LNDG ON I- 70 JUST N OF THE ARPT BECAUSE THE ENG LOST PWR. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS FOUND THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENG. THE SHOP'S NORMAL PROCS INCLUDE CHKING OIL QUANTITIES AND TEST RUNNING OF ENGS BEFORE RETURNING THEM TO SVC. I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED THAT THESE PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS KIND OF THING DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN IN ANY WAY WHEREVER I WORK. I DO NOT KNOW IF OIL WAS OR WAS NOT PUT IN THE ENG. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ENG HAS AN UNDETECTED OIL LEAK. I DO KNOW THAT IF NORMAL PROCS HAD BEEN FOLLOWED THIS INCIDENT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. BELIEVE ME, I PERSONALLY SHALL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SEE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IF I CAN CTL IT.

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.