Narrative:

I was en route from saf to E80, to pick up a company pilot, cruising at 10500 ft MSL (between 3500 ft and 4000 ft AGL) sbound (heading 200 degrees) along the east side of the sandia mountain range, approximately 14 NM northeast of the albuquerque international airport, when I heard a loud pop from the engine compartment. The plane immediately lost power. I maintained a level flight attitude and began to run through the aircraft's 'emergency restart procedures.' unable to restart the engine, I established the aircraft's 'best glide speed' and contacted abq approach control on frequency 134.8. I declared an emergency and told abq approach that I had lost power and was preparing to make an emergency landing. Abq approach requested that I squawk 7700, but because of the mountains they were unable to pick me up on radar (my altitude was now approximately 9000 ft MSL). At approximately the same time, I also lost radio contact with abq approach and began relaying messages through a mesa airline's flight inbound to abq international. I gave them my approximately position relative to tijeras canyon pass (located 10 NM east of albuquerque international airport) and informed them that I had not been able to locate a suitable landing site, the terrain was very rough and the only areas not covered with rocks and trees were scattered residential areas. I also informed the mesa aircraft that I would not be able to make it through the pass (wbound, in an attempt to make it to abq) and asked them to tell abq approach that I was going to require emergency equipment, and that I was approaching interstate 40 (which runs east/west) from the north. Because of the high volume of traffic on I-40, and winding nature through the pass, I thought that my best chance was to put the plane down (west to east and wheels up) on the rough terrain 1/4 mi to the south of the interstate and hope that I would be able to get out of the plane before it caught fire. However, approximately 1/2 mi north of I-40 (still maintaining a south heading) I noticed that the interstate began to straighten to the east (for about 1 1/2 mi), and that there also was about a 1 mi gap in the eastbound traffic at that point. At this time I was at approximately 800 ft to 1000 ft AGL with terrain around 7000 ft MSL. I lined up with the interstate (now eastbound, with the traffic). I was still prepared to break off the approach and put the plane into a 30 ft deep gully paralleling the interstate, rather than landing on top of any vehicles, but the spacing between the cars ahead of and behind my landing point was good and would allow for roughly 1/2 mi spacing between myself and the cars behind me. I lowered the landing gear, turned off the battery and made an uneventful landing -- passing under an overpass and power lines during the rollout (uphill). I then allowed the aircraft to roll to a gradual stop (not using the brakes) to give traffic behind me time to slow. After coming to a complete stop, I turned the battery back on and reestablished contact with the mesa airline's aircraft. I informed them that I had landed on the eastbound lanes of I-40 and that there was no damage to the aircraft (or any other structures) and that there were no injuries, but I was going to require assistance from law enforcement personnel for traffic control -- which they then relayed to abq approach. 2 bernalillo county sheriff's department deputies arrived at the scene within 3 to 4 mins and began directing traffic -- there were no accidents. The aircraft was towed to sandia air park for repairs to the engine that same day. Preliminary investigation into the cause of the engine failure has suggested that the cam shaft gearing broke. There was no possible way for me to anticipate, or prevent it from happening, or to restart the engine once it occurred.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35S PLT HAS ENG FAILURE, MAKES EMER LNDG ON A FREEWAY. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR PLT.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM SAF TO E80, TO PICK UP A COMPANY PLT, CRUISING AT 10500 FT MSL (BTWN 3500 FT AND 4000 FT AGL) SBOUND (HDG 200 DEGS) ALONG THE E SIDE OF THE SANDIA MOUNTAIN RANGE, APPROX 14 NM NE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE INTL ARPT, WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY LOST PWR. I MAINTAINED A LEVEL FLT ATTITUDE AND BEGAN TO RUN THROUGH THE ACFT'S 'EMER RESTART PROCS.' UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENG, I ESTABLISHED THE ACFT'S 'BEST GLIDE SPD' AND CONTACTED ABQ APCH CTL ON FREQ 134.8. I DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD ABQ APCH THAT I HAD LOST PWR AND WAS PREPARING TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. ABQ APCH REQUESTED THAT I SQUAWK 7700, BUT BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS THEY WERE UNABLE TO PICK ME UP ON RADAR (MY ALT WAS NOW APPROX 9000 FT MSL). AT APPROX THE SAME TIME, I ALSO LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH ABQ APCH AND BEGAN RELAYING MESSAGES THROUGH A MESA AIRLINE'S FLT INBOUND TO ABQ INTL. I GAVE THEM MY APPROX POS RELATIVE TO TIJERAS CANYON PASS (LOCATED 10 NM E OF ALBUQUERQUE INTL ARPT) AND INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE A SUITABLE LNDG SITE, THE TERRAIN WAS VERY ROUGH AND THE ONLY AREAS NOT COVERED WITH ROCKS AND TREES WERE SCATTERED RESIDENTIAL AREAS. I ALSO INFORMED THE MESA ACFT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PASS (WBOUND, IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT TO ABQ) AND ASKED THEM TO TELL ABQ APCH THAT I WAS GOING TO REQUIRE EMER EQUIP, AND THAT I WAS APCHING INTERSTATE 40 (WHICH RUNS E/W) FROM THE N. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC ON I-40, AND WINDING NATURE THROUGH THE PASS, I THOUGHT THAT MY BEST CHANCE WAS TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN (W TO E AND WHEELS UP) ON THE ROUGH TERRAIN 1/4 MI TO THE S OF THE INTERSTATE AND HOPE THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE PLANE BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. HOWEVER, APPROX 1/2 MI N OF I-40 (STILL MAINTAINING A S HEADING) I NOTICED THAT THE INTERSTATE BEGAN TO STRAIGHTEN TO THE E (FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 MI), AND THAT THERE ALSO WAS ABOUT A 1 MI GAP IN THE EBOUND TFC AT THAT POINT. AT THIS TIME I WAS AT APPROX 800 FT TO 1000 FT AGL WITH TERRAIN AROUND 7000 FT MSL. I LINED UP WITH THE INTERSTATE (NOW EBOUND, WITH THE TFC). I WAS STILL PREPARED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH AND PUT THE PLANE INTO A 30 FT DEEP GULLY PARALLELING THE INTERSTATE, RATHER THAN LNDG ON TOP OF ANY VEHICLES, BUT THE SPACING BTWN THE CARS AHEAD OF AND BEHIND MY LNDG POINT WAS GOOD AND WOULD ALLOW FOR ROUGHLY 1/2 MI SPACING BTWN MYSELF AND THE CARS BEHIND ME. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, TURNED OFF THE BATTERY AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG -- PASSING UNDER AN OVERPASS AND PWR LINES DURING THE ROLLOUT (UPHILL). I THEN ALLOWED THE ACFT TO ROLL TO A GRADUAL STOP (NOT USING THE BRAKES) TO GIVE TFC BEHIND ME TIME TO SLOW. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, I TURNED THE BATTERY BACK ON AND REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE MESA AIRLINE'S ACFT. I INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE EBOUND LANES OF I-40 AND THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT (OR ANY OTHER STRUCTURES) AND THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT I WAS GOING TO REQUIRE ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL FOR TFC CTL -- WHICH THEY THEN RELAYED TO ABQ APCH. 2 BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT DEPUTIES ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WITHIN 3 TO 4 MINS AND BEGAN DIRECTING TFC -- THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO SANDIA AIR PARK FOR REPAIRS TO THE ENG THAT SAME DAY. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE CAM SHAFT GEARING BROKE. THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR ME TO ANTICIPATE, OR PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING, OR TO RESTART THE ENG ONCE IT OCCURRED.

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.