Narrative:

En route between lancaster, ny, and olcott-newpane, ny, the engine of an small aircraft quit. I followed the restart procedures which had no result. I picked a road to use for my forced landing. I chose to use the road for the following reasons: 1) the road was aligned with the wind. 2) there was no traffic on the road at the time. 3) fear of overturning the aircraft in a soft field. 4) not being found in a field for a period of time (outside air temperature was approximately 20 degrees). 5) access to emergency crew on the road. The forced landing was successful with no injury involved. The aircraft sustained some damage, the right wing clipped a power line causing the left gear to hit harder than the right and collapsing it. The power line caused minor damage to the wing. I feel the only thing I could have done differently would have been to align the aircraft with the road sooner which would have resulted in clearing the power line and a smoother touchdown. Another factor which arose after the accident, was the failure of the a&P to endorse the logbook for the ferry flight. I was certain of the airworthiness of the aircraft due to the fact that I was present during the inspection of the aircraft by the a&P. However, without the logbook endorsement, I have no proof of the airworthiness of the aircraft. I believe that it is a matter of neglect on my part as PIC. However, not being a mechanic, I do not know how I would be expected to know the regulations involved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the ferry permit in question was issued to move the aircraft to another location for an annual inspection and paint job. The aircraft had not flown for about 2 yrs and needed considerable work. Local mechanics and the insurance company were unable to find the cause of the engine failure, but the pilot thinks that there may have been carburetor ice. The right wing and left landing gear were damaged in the approach and landing and there was more damage done when the aircraft was taken apart to move it back to the airport. The reporting pilot is an instructor. Because of this incident, the FAA has required that he be retrained in the area of logbook sign offs that most pilots are not involved with, and that he pass this on to other pilots at safety seminars, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LANDED ON A ROAD BECAUSE OF AN ENG FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED AS IT HIT A PWR LINE.

Narrative: ENRTE BTWN LANCASTER, NY, AND OLCOTT-NEWPANE, NY, THE ENG OF AN SMA QUIT. I FOLLOWED THE RESTART PROCS WHICH HAD NO RESULT. I PICKED A ROAD TO USE FOR MY FORCED LNDG. I CHOSE TO USE THE ROAD FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) THE ROAD WAS ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. 2) THERE WAS NO TFC ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. 3) FEAR OF OVERTURNING THE ACFT IN A SOFT FIELD. 4) NOT BEING FOUND IN A FIELD FOR A PERIOD OF TIME (OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS APPROX 20 DEGS). 5) ACCESS TO EMER CREW ON THE ROAD. THE FORCED LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO INJURY INVOLVED. THE ACFT SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE, THE R WING CLIPPED A PWR LINE CAUSING THE L GEAR TO HIT HARDER THAN THE R AND COLLAPSING IT. THE PWR LINE CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WING. I FEEL THE ONLY THING I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ALIGN THE ACFT WITH THE ROAD SOONER WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN CLRING THE PWR LINE AND A SMOOTHER TOUCHDOWN. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH AROSE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WAS THE FAILURE OF THE A&P TO ENDORSE THE LOGBOOK FOR THE FERRY FLT. I WAS CERTAIN OF THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS PRESENT DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE ACFT BY THE A&P. HOWEVER, WITHOUT THE LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT, I HAVE NO PROOF OF THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MATTER OF NEGLECT ON MY PART AS PIC. HOWEVER, NOT BEING A MECH, I DO NOT KNOW HOW I WOULD BE EXPECTED TO KNOW THE REGS INVOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FERRY PERMIT IN QUESTION WAS ISSUED TO MOVE THE ACFT TO ANOTHER LOCATION FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND PAINT JOB. THE ACFT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR ABOUT 2 YRS AND NEEDED CONSIDERABLE WORK. LCL MECHS AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE, BUT THE PLT THINKS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN CARB ICE. THE R WING AND L LNDG GEAR WERE DAMAGED IN THE APCH AND LNDG AND THERE WAS MORE DAMAGE DONE WHEN THE ACFT WAS TAKEN APART TO MOVE IT BACK TO THE ARPT. THE RPTING PLT IS AN INSTRUCTOR. BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, THE FAA HAS REQUIRED THAT HE BE RETRAINED IN THE AREA OF LOGBOOK SIGN OFFS THAT MOST PLTS ARE NOT INVOLVED WITH, AND THAT HE PASS THIS ON TO OTHER PLTS AT SAFETY SEMINARS, ETC.

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.