Narrative:

No problems of significance were found on the first 3 touch- and-goes. On the last one, student drifted away from the runway on downwind leg. At the point of turning base leg, we were too far out and at too low of an altitude. In order to bring us back on the correct altitude student added too much power so at the point of turning to final, altitude was close to traffic pattern altitude (1900 ft MSL). Carburetor heat was turned on, full flaps were used and power was set to idle, so our final approach turned in to be a glide. After touching the runway at about midpoint, flaps were retracted, carburetor heat was shut off and power was added. After climbing about 200- 250 ft, the engine sputtered once or twice and power was lost. My first reaction was pushing my left hand over the student's right hand on the throttle, in order to reassure we had full power. What turned out to be we had the throttle to a full power position. Then, complete power was lost and I turned the small aircraft into a steep left turn in order to attempt a landing on runway 4. While performing that turn, I was convinced I had sufficient altitude and was close enough to runway 4 to make this a successful landing. However, at my approximately 135 point, it appeared to be impossible to clear the trees at the approach end of runway 4. The only 'suitable' landing spot at that time seemed to be interstate 79, which elevation is lower than 4g7. Because of low altitude, no restart attempts were made. Landing was made with the traffic flow in the northbound lane of interstate 79 where a guardrail was hit with, I believe, the right horizontal stabilizer in order to avoid traffic. The small aircraft spun around and came to a stop after about 100 ft at approximately PM05 EST. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that the local FAA office drained all of his fuel when it found that he was using automatic fuel under the appropriate stc. The reporter has not heard back from the FAA about this. The FAA suspects carburetor ice caused the failure. The aircraft lost its left wing and strut, the propeller was damaged, and the right tailplane was damaged. There were no injuries to the crew or passing autos. Most of the damage happened when the reporter maneuvered to avoid an automatic on the freeway.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LANDED ON A FREEWAY WITH AN UNRESPONSIVE ENG.

Narrative: NO PROBS OF SIGNIFICANCE WERE FOUND ON THE FIRST 3 TOUCH- AND-GOES. ON THE LAST ONE, STUDENT DRIFTED AWAY FROM THE RWY ON DOWNWIND LEG. AT THE POINT OF TURNING BASE LEG, WE WERE TOO FAR OUT AND AT TOO LOW OF AN ALT. IN ORDER TO BRING US BACK ON THE CORRECT ALT STUDENT ADDED TOO MUCH PWR SO AT THE POINT OF TURNING TO FINAL, ALT WAS CLOSE TO TFC PATTERN ALT (1900 FT MSL). CARB HEAT WAS TURNED ON, FULL FLAPS WERE USED AND PWR WAS SET TO IDLE, SO OUR FINAL APCH TURNED IN TO BE A GLIDE. AFTER TOUCHING THE RWY AT ABOUT MIDPOINT, FLAPS WERE RETRACTED, CARB HEAT WAS SHUT OFF AND PWR WAS ADDED. AFTER CLBING ABOUT 200- 250 FT, THE ENG SPUTTERED ONCE OR TWICE AND PWR WAS LOST. MY FIRST REACTION WAS PUSHING MY L HAND OVER THE STUDENT'S R HAND ON THE THROTTLE, IN ORDER TO REASSURE WE HAD FULL PWR. WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE WE HAD THE THROTTLE TO A FULL PWR POS. THEN, COMPLETE PWR WAS LOST AND I TURNED THE SMA INTO A STEEP L TURN IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT A LNDG ON RWY 4. WHILE PERFORMING THAT TURN, I WAS CONVINCED I HAD SUFFICIENT ALT AND WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO RWY 4 TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. HOWEVER, AT MY APPROX 135 POINT, IT APPEARED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CLR THE TREES AT THE APCH END OF RWY 4. THE ONLY 'SUITABLE' LNDG SPOT AT THAT TIME SEEMED TO BE INTERSTATE 79, WHICH ELEVATION IS LOWER THAN 4G7. BECAUSE OF LOW ALT, NO RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE MADE. LNDG WAS MADE WITH THE TFC FLOW IN THE NBOUND LANE OF INTERSTATE 79 WHERE A GUARDRAIL WAS HIT WITH, I BELIEVE, THE R HORIZ STABILIZER IN ORDER TO AVOID TFC. THE SMA SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO A STOP AFTER ABOUT 100 FT AT APPROX PM05 EST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE LCL FAA OFFICE DRAINED ALL OF HIS FUEL WHEN IT FOUND THAT HE WAS USING AUTO FUEL UNDER THE APPROPRIATE STC. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE FAA ABOUT THIS. THE FAA SUSPECTS CARB ICE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE ACFT LOST ITS L WING AND STRUT, THE PROP WAS DAMAGED, AND THE R TAILPLANE WAS DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW OR PASSING AUTOS. MOST OF THE DAMAGE HAPPENED WHEN THE RPTR MANEUVERED TO AVOID AN AUTO ON THE FREEWAY.

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.