Narrative:

I had called WX brief 1 hour prior to takeoff and had a briefing that promised low ceilings; 1800-2800 ft AGL; to the border of ohio and kentucky where I was promised 4000 ft or better. The outlook was to be clear. The winds were 330 degrees at 8 KTS with no gusts. I was particularly interested in the gusts as they were gusting to 23 KTS on another day; thus delaying our trip. I had been in the habit of talking to dayton since they always seemed friendly and diligent. My experience with cincinnati had been just the opposite. Therefore; we decided to tune in rough river to listen but not to have flight following. We stayed at about 2500 ft and under cincinnati's airspace. About 1 hour into the trip; I heard a pop; and there was smoke in the cabin. I had to assume that the smoke would only get thicker (though it did not). The EFIS was flashing zero oil pressure. I immediately looked for a good spot to put it down. I knew from the GPS that we were not close enough to an airport. So much raced through my mind that I am not sure how to explain it as anything but almost instantaneous. All of the hours training for this came back with multiple instructors' voices in my head repeating the procedures. I do not think I can emphasize this enough. It really was rote. I did not have to think about it. An airfield was out; the fields looked small and hilly; but there was a road that was about to turn to a straight section directly in front of us. I pulled out the power and lined up on the road. I had asked my husband to tune in 121.5 as he has always been a great help in the cockpit at navigation and tuning the radio and transponder. He said in frustration that he could not get it to change so I started turning the knob. I heard 'fly the airplane' in my mind as I gave up on tuning the radio. I did not exactly establish best glide as I needed to lose too much altitude. I was in a slight dive. I can hear my husband's voice giving me encouragement like 'looks good honey' and 'way to go.' this may sound strange; but it was what I needed to hear so that I knew he was fine and I only had to worry about flying. As we got closer; I saw how close the trees were to my wingtips and how many power lines there seemed to be. We were flying right behind a truck and coming to a set of power lines. At this point he said 'remember you still have power if you need it.' that may sound obvious; but I do not know if I would have thought of it or not. We always train as if the power is gone. I had put it in my head that I needed to fly as if I would lose the engine at any second but I had not yet. I thought 'well yes; I will go over that line and under the next!' I added power and she purred to life and I felt as though I were threading a needle. My foot slipped on the rudder pedal and I glanced down to see a river of shiny black oil on my floor. No time to think about that. We sailed over the truck and there were 2 cars ahead that had gotten off the road to the side. We touched down and started the rollout. I knew I would hit something to the right in the corner of my eye but I had to keep my wing out of those windshields to the left. I heard the 'bang' but just could not bear to look. I needed to keep my eyes on the cars. I know it was a pole of some sort and was just sure my wing was gone. More traffic was coming so after the short rollout and hard on the brakes; there appeared a clearing and a driveway. It seemed so logical to pull in and out of the way. I started shutdown procedures and pulled the fuel shutoff. We were able to determine later that the oil line separated from its fitting to the oil cooler. A reflector pole took a 10 inch radius semicircle out of the wing; a simple fix to a composite airframe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE DUE TO A FAILED FITTING CAUSES HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMEBUILT TO LAND ON A ROAD. MODEST DAMAGE RESULTS.

Narrative: I HAD CALLED WX BRIEF 1 HR PRIOR TO TKOF AND HAD A BRIEFING THAT PROMISED LOW CEILINGS; 1800-2800 FT AGL; TO THE BORDER OF OHIO AND KENTUCKY WHERE I WAS PROMISED 4000 FT OR BETTER. THE OUTLOOK WAS TO BE CLR. THE WINDS WERE 330 DEGS AT 8 KTS WITH NO GUSTS. I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE GUSTS AS THEY WERE GUSTING TO 23 KTS ON ANOTHER DAY; THUS DELAYING OUR TRIP. I HAD BEEN IN THE HABIT OF TALKING TO DAYTON SINCE THEY ALWAYS SEEMED FRIENDLY AND DILIGENT. MY EXPERIENCE WITH CINCINNATI HAD BEEN JUST THE OPPOSITE. THEREFORE; WE DECIDED TO TUNE IN ROUGH RIVER TO LISTEN BUT NOT TO HAVE FLT FOLLOWING. WE STAYED AT ABOUT 2500 FT AND UNDER CINCINNATI'S AIRSPACE. ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE TRIP; I HEARD A POP; AND THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I HAD TO ASSUME THAT THE SMOKE WOULD ONLY GET THICKER (THOUGH IT DID NOT). THE EFIS WAS FLASHING ZERO OIL PRESSURE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED FOR A GOOD SPOT TO PUT IT DOWN. I KNEW FROM THE GPS THAT WE WERE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO AN ARPT. SO MUCH RACED THROUGH MY MIND THAT I AM NOT SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN IT AS ANYTHING BUT ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS. ALL OF THE HRS TRAINING FOR THIS CAME BACK WITH MULTIPLE INSTRUCTORS' VOICES IN MY HEAD REPEATING THE PROCS. I DO NOT THINK I CAN EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. IT REALLY WAS ROTE. I DID NOT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. AN AIRFIELD WAS OUT; THE FIELDS LOOKED SMALL AND HILLY; BUT THERE WAS A ROAD THAT WAS ABOUT TO TURN TO A STRAIGHT SECTION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. I PULLED OUT THE PWR AND LINED UP ON THE ROAD. I HAD ASKED MY HUSBAND TO TUNE IN 121.5 AS HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT HELP IN THE COCKPIT AT NAV AND TUNING THE RADIO AND XPONDER. HE SAID IN FRUSTRATION THAT HE COULD NOT GET IT TO CHANGE SO I STARTED TURNING THE KNOB. I HEARD 'FLY THE AIRPLANE' IN MY MIND AS I GAVE UP ON TUNING THE RADIO. I DID NOT EXACTLY ESTABLISH BEST GLIDE AS I NEEDED TO LOSE TOO MUCH ALT. I WAS IN A SLIGHT DIVE. I CAN HEAR MY HUSBAND'S VOICE GIVING ME ENCOURAGEMENT LIKE 'LOOKS GOOD HONEY' AND 'WAY TO GO.' THIS MAY SOUND STRANGE; BUT IT WAS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR SO THAT I KNEW HE WAS FINE AND I ONLY HAD TO WORRY ABOUT FLYING. AS WE GOT CLOSER; I SAW HOW CLOSE THE TREES WERE TO MY WINGTIPS AND HOW MANY POWER LINES THERE SEEMED TO BE. WE WERE FLYING RIGHT BEHIND A TRUCK AND COMING TO A SET OF PWR LINES. AT THIS POINT HE SAID 'REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE PWR IF YOU NEED IT.' THAT MAY SOUND OBVIOUS; BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT OR NOT. WE ALWAYS TRAIN AS IF THE PWR IS GONE. I HAD PUT IT IN MY HEAD THAT I NEEDED TO FLY AS IF I WOULD LOSE THE ENG AT ANY SECOND BUT I HAD NOT YET. I THOUGHT 'WELL YES; I WILL GO OVER THAT LINE AND UNDER THE NEXT!' I ADDED PWR AND SHE PURRED TO LIFE AND I FELT AS THOUGH I WERE THREADING A NEEDLE. MY FOOT SLIPPED ON THE RUDDER PEDAL AND I GLANCED DOWN TO SEE A RIVER OF SHINY BLACK OIL ON MY FLOOR. NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT. WE SAILED OVER THE TRUCK AND THERE WERE 2 CARS AHEAD THAT HAD GOTTEN OFF THE ROAD TO THE SIDE. WE TOUCHED DOWN AND STARTED THE ROLLOUT. I KNEW I WOULD HIT SOMETHING TO THE R IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE BUT I HAD TO KEEP MY WING OUT OF THOSE WINDSHIELDS TO THE L. I HEARD THE 'BANG' BUT JUST COULD NOT BEAR TO LOOK. I NEEDED TO KEEP MY EYES ON THE CARS. I KNOW IT WAS A POLE OF SOME SORT AND WAS JUST SURE MY WING WAS GONE. MORE TFC WAS COMING SO AFTER THE SHORT ROLLOUT AND HARD ON THE BRAKES; THERE APPEARED A CLRING AND A DRIVEWAY. IT SEEMED SO LOGICAL TO PULL IN AND OUT OF THE WAY. I STARTED SHUTDOWN PROCS AND PULLED THE FUEL SHUTOFF. WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE LATER THAT THE OIL LINE SEPARATED FROM ITS FITTING TO THE OIL COOLER. A REFLECTOR POLE TOOK A 10 INCH RADIUS SEMICIRCLE OUT OF THE WING; A SIMPLE FIX TO A COMPOSITE AIRFRAME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.