What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 10, 2002, at 1930 central daylight time a Piper PA24-250, N5724P, registered to a private individual and operated by the private pilot, collided with a guard rail while making a forced landing on interstate I-20 near Morton, Mississippi following a loss of engine power. The flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. This leg of the flight originated in tuskegee, Alabama, exact time unknown. According to the pilot, while in cruise flight, the engine started running rough and loosing power. Smoke was entering the cockpit and a clanking noise could be heard coming from the engine. The pilot elected to make a forced landing on I-20 west. The pilot forgot to put the gear down and landed between the e&w guard rails separating the east and west bound lanes substantially damaging the fuselage and wings. The engine has been removed from the airframe for further examination. (-23) aircraft made off field gear up landing in the median of I-20 (west bound) at mile marker 79 near Morton, MS at 7:30 pm. Aircraft sustained substantial damage to fuselage, engine, prop, and both wings. Pilot reported loss of power, smoke in the cockpit and a loud clanking noise prior to the off field landing. Post accident investigation revealed #4 aft push rod and push rod tube were broken. Most oil had pumped from the engine, (2 qts remaining). Atl NTSB (butch wilson) is coordinating engine teardown with Lycoming to determine cause of material failure.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2002, AT 1930 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME A PIPER PA24-250, N5724P, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH A GUARD RAIL WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING ON INTERSTATE I-20 NEAR MORTON, MISSISSIPPI FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THIS LEG OF THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND LOOSING POWER. SMOKE WAS ENTERING THE COCKPIT AND A CLANKING NOISE COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING ON I-20 WEST. THE PILOT FORGOT TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND LANDED BETWEEN THE E&W GUARD RAILS SEPARATING THE EAST AND WEST BOUND LANES SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (-23) AIRCRAFT MADE OFF FIELD GEAR UP LANDING IN THE MEDIAN OF I-20 (WEST BOUND) AT MILE MARKER 79 NEAR MORTON, MS AT 7:30 PM. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE, ENGINE, PROP, AND BOTH WINGS. PILOT REPORTED LOSS OF POWER, SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND A LOUD CLANKING NOISE PRIOR TO THE OFF FIELD LANDING. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED #4 AFT PUSH ROD AND PUSH ROD TUBE WERE BROKEN. MOST OIL HAD PUMPED FROM THE ENGINE, (2 QTS REMAINING). ATL NTSB (BUTCH WILSON) IS COORDINATING ENGINE TEARDOWN WITH LYCOMING TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF MATERIAL FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.