In-flight engine failure causes forced landing.

Attributes
ACN	289456
Time
Date	199411
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cps
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1900 msl bound upper : 1900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cps
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 66 flight time total : 310 flight time type : 29
ASRS Report	289456
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was conducting a VFR flight from cps airport to grubville, mo, on a southwest heading on a 240 degree course, when I was approximately near highway I-270 and highway 21. Then all of a sudden the sound of the engine increased very fast, I noted the tachometer was 2500 RPM and increasing, I retarded the throttle slightly and nothing changed. I advanced the propeller control to full forward, the tachometer was still increasing north the RPM to 3000 RPM plus, I retarded the throttle more and tried to recycle the propeller from full forward position to aft position, 2 times and then left the propeller control about 1/2 way forward from the aft position. While I was doing all of this, I was making a standard rate 180 degree turn back to the closest airport which is cps. As I was about to complete my turn I noticed the engine started to run quiet and the RPM on the tachometer to decrease and the landing gear warning horn going off. I lowered the aircraft nose immediately, put the manual gear override switch in a lock-up position. As I was doing so that's when the engine quit running and the propeller would not windmill. I put the aircraft at 105 mph (best glide), called cps tower, told the air traffic controller my situation and location, which was at that time flying north over I-55 and just south of lindbergh blvd. The tower asked if I could make it back to the airport, I told the air traffic controller no, and planned to land on highway I-55. I observed the traffic traveling north and south, then made the decision to land in the northbound lanes. Immediately, I dropped the gear with the override switch to the down position. I then turned both the ignition switch on the magnetos and the master switch to the off position. I then safely landed the aircraft without damage to any person or property. And then let the aircraft roll before making a complete stop so that traffic behind me would have enough time to slow down without causing any accidents. I then taxied to the far right and waited for the state and local police and the FAA to arrive.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG FAILURE CAUSES FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A VFR FLT FROM CPS ARPT TO GRUBVILLE, MO, ON A SW HDG ON A 240 DEG COURSE, WHEN I WAS APPROX NEAR HWY I-270 AND HWY 21. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SOUND OF THE ENG INCREASED VERY FAST, I NOTED THE TACHOMETER WAS 2500 RPM AND INCREASING, I RETARDED THE THROTTLE SLIGHTLY AND NOTHING CHANGED. I ADVANCED THE PROP CTL TO FULL FORWARD, THE TACHOMETER WAS STILL INCREASING N THE RPM TO 3000 RPM PLUS, I RETARDED THE THROTTLE MORE AND TRIED TO RECYCLE THE PROP FROM FULL FORWARD POS TO AFT POS, 2 TIMES AND THEN LEFT THE PROP CTL ABOUT 1/2 WAY FORWARD FROM THE AFT POS. WHILE I WAS DOING ALL OF THIS, I WAS MAKING A STANDARD RATE 180 DEG TURN BACK TO THE CLOSEST ARPT WHICH IS CPS. AS I WAS ABOUT TO COMPLETE MY TURN I NOTICED THE ENG STARTED TO RUN QUIET AND THE RPM ON THE TACHOMETER TO DECREASE AND THE LNDG GEAR WARNING HORN GOING OFF. I LOWERED THE ACFT NOSE IMMEDIATELY, PUT THE MANUAL GEAR OVERRIDE SWITCH IN A LOCK-UP POS. AS I WAS DOING SO THAT'S WHEN THE ENG QUIT RUNNING AND THE PROP WOULD NOT WINDMILL. I PUT THE ACFT AT 105 MPH (BEST GLIDE), CALLED CPS TWR, TOLD THE AIR TFC CTLR MY SIT AND LOCATION, WHICH WAS AT THAT TIME FLYING N OVER I-55 AND JUST S OF LINDBERGH BLVD. THE TWR ASKED IF I COULD MAKE IT BACK TO THE ARPT, I TOLD THE AIR TFC CTLR NO, AND PLANNED TO LAND ON HWY I-55. I OBSERVED THE TFC TRAVELING N AND S, THEN MADE THE DECISION TO LAND IN THE NBOUND LANES. IMMEDIATELY, I DROPPED THE GEAR WITH THE OVERRIDE SWITCH TO THE DOWN POS. I THEN TURNED BOTH THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE MAGNETOS AND THE MASTER SWITCH TO THE OFF POS. I THEN SAFELY LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY. AND THEN LET THE ACFT ROLL BEFORE MAKING A COMPLETE STOP SO THAT TFC BEHIND ME WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SLOW DOWN WITHOUT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENTS. I THEN TAXIED TO THE FAR R AND WAITED FOR THE STATE AND LCL POLICE AND THE FAA TO ARRIVE.

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.