Narrative:

While on a VFR flight from siletz bay state airport, or, to sun river, or, flying an small aircraft with 150 hp, I experienced a loss of fuel pressure followed by a complete loss of power. Control of aircraft was maintained by initiating emergency procedures. No emergency was declared with ATC. Aircraft was turned 180 degrees back towards corvallis VOR and a 1200 FPM descent was maintained. Aircraft was vectored towards sweet home, or, airport. However, due to rate of descent and mountainous terrain, I was unable to reach the field. As I continued to lose altitude and was unable to regain power, I continued to search for landing sites. Availability of safe site was limited due to severe sloping and heavily wooded terrain. I once again contacted controller (eug approach) and asked for alternatives. Controller replied I should look for a road in my vicinity, which I was able to locate. Road was mostly curves, however I located a straight section and made decision to land. Power off landing was made avoiding trees, power lines and traffic. However, on rollout left wing struck metal snow marker on side of road and crumpled leading edge. Fuel totalizer indicated 10 gal remaining. However, tanks dry. Subsequent investigation revealed separated fuel connection between (auxiliary) belly tank and right wing tank (main) causing severe fuel leakage in flight. Problem was undetectable on ground. Apparently happened in flight so preventive action was almost impossible except by inspection at time of annual possibly. Contributing factors may have been age of aircraft, age of fuel tank (auxiliary), installation, rubber hose reaction to use of 100LL fuel, change of temperature affecting metal parts. Corrective actions were for most part done by training in emergency procedures. Constant mental review along with practice prepared me for this event. As far as performance as pilot is concerned, I am pleased with the way I handled situation as I remained in control of situation at all times. Control of aircraft was normal and only time anxiety was felt immediately before suitable landing spot was found as I began to visualize and imagine ensuing crash and injury or death to myself and passenger (wife). My passenger was calm and controled and offered to assist me in control of aircraft and preparing for hard impact. ATC was minor assistance and controller on duty at time handling my emergency did not offer much in way of alternatives. After initial alternative airport was unable to be made, additional coaxing from me was needed to find out if there was a road within gliding distance. Relative rapid descent and short time aircraft remained airborne made quick decisions necessary and seemed to prevent detailed examination and consideration of surrounding terrain.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BROKEN FUEL LINE RESULT IN FUEL STARVATION AND FORCED LNDG ON ROAD IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR FLT FROM SILETZ BAY STATE ARPT, OR, TO SUN RIVER, OR, FLYING AN SMA WITH 150 HP, I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF PWR. CTL OF ACFT WAS MAINTAINED BY INITIATING EMER PROCS. NO EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. ACFT WAS TURNED 180 DEGS BACK TOWARDS CORVALLIS VOR AND A 1200 FPM DSCNT WAS MAINTAINED. ACFT WAS VECTORED TOWARDS SWEET HOME, OR, ARPT. HOWEVER, DUE TO RATE OF DSCNT AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE FIELD. AS I CONTINUED TO LOSE ALT AND WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN PWR, I CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR LNDG SITES. AVAILABILITY OF SAFE SITE WAS LIMITED DUE TO SEVERE SLOPING AND HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN. I ONCE AGAIN CONTACTED CTLR (EUG APCH) AND ASKED FOR ALTERNATIVES. CTLR REPLIED I SHOULD LOOK FOR A ROAD IN MY VICINITY, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE. ROAD WAS MOSTLY CURVES, HOWEVER I LOCATED A STRAIGHT SECTION AND MADE DECISION TO LAND. PWR OFF LNDG WAS MADE AVOIDING TREES, PWR LINES AND TFC. HOWEVER, ON ROLLOUT LEFT WING STRUCK METAL SNOW MARKER ON SIDE OF ROAD AND CRUMPLED LEADING EDGE. FUEL TOTALIZER INDICATED 10 GAL REMAINING. HOWEVER, TANKS DRY. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED SEPARATED FUEL CONNECTION BTWN (AUX) BELLY TANK AND RIGHT WING TANK (MAIN) CAUSING SEVERE FUEL LEAKAGE IN FLT. PROB WAS UNDETECTABLE ON GND. APPARENTLY HAPPENED IN FLT SO PREVENTIVE ACTION WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE EXCEPT BY INSPECTION AT TIME OF ANNUAL POSSIBLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN AGE OF ACFT, AGE OF FUEL TANK (AUX), INSTALLATION, RUBBER HOSE REACTION TO USE OF 100LL FUEL, CHANGE OF TEMP AFFECTING METAL PARTS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE FOR MOST PART DONE BY TRNING IN EMER PROCS. CONSTANT MENTAL REVIEW ALONG WITH PRACTICE PREPARED ME FOR THIS EVENT. AS FAR AS PERFORMANCE AS PLT IS CONCERNED, I AM PLEASED WITH THE WAY I HANDLED SITUATION AS I REMAINED IN CONTROL OF SITUATION AT ALL TIMES. CONTROL OF ACFT WAS NORMAL AND ONLY TIME ANXIETY WAS FELT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SUITABLE LNDG SPOT WAS FOUND AS I BEGAN TO VISUALIZE AND IMAGINE ENSUING CRASH AND INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND PAX (WIFE). MY PAX WAS CALM AND CTLED AND OFFERED TO ASSIST ME IN CONTROL OF ACFT AND PREPARING FOR HARD IMPACT. ATC WAS MINOR ASSISTANCE AND CTLR ON DUTY AT TIME HANDLING MY EMER DID NOT OFFER MUCH IN WAY OF ALTERNATIVES. AFTER INITIAL ALTERNATIVE ARPT WAS UNABLE TO BE MADE, ADDITIONAL COAXING FROM ME WAS NEEDED TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A ROAD WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE. RELATIVE RAPID DSCNT AND SHORT TIME ACFT REMAINED AIRBORNE MADE QUICK DECISIONS NECESSARY AND SEEMED TO PREVENT DETAILED EXAMINATION AND CONSIDERATION OF SURROUNDING TERRAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.