What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed dewitt spain airport (M01) at approximately 11:30 am, en route to johnson county executive airport (kojc), maintaining a cruising altitude of 8,000 feet MSL between the waypoints zerty and trale. While abeam Springfield, Missouri, the engine began producing an intermittent unusual noise. Exercising caution, the pilot opted to divert to Springfield-Branson National Airport (ksgf) and was provided with a heading and instructed by ATC to descend to 3,000 feet. During the descent, the engine's performance deteriorated significantly, and the pilot discovered that it was no longer producing power despite attempts to increase thrust. Realizing that gliding to an airport was not feasible, the pilot decided that landing on a highway was the safest option. The pilot successfully landed the aircraft on the highway but clipped a road sign with the left wingtip, causing the plane to veer off into the center embankment. This resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear, damage to the propeller, and fire damage to the left wing before the aircraft came to a complete stop on the opposite side of the highway.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED DEWITT SPAIN AIRPORT (M01) AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 AM, EN ROUTE TO JOHNSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KOJC), MAINTAINING A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET MSL BETWEEN THE WAYPOINTS ZERTY AND TRALE. WHILE ABEAM SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, THE ENGINE BEGAN PRODUCING AN INTERMITTENT UNUSUAL NOISE. EXERCISING CAUTION, THE PILOT OPTED TO DIVERT TO SPRINGFIELD-BRANSON NATIONAL AIRPORT (KSGF) AND WAS PROVIDED WITH A HEADING AND INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO DESCEND TO 3,000 FEET. DURING THE DESCENT, THE ENGINE'S PERFORMANCE DETERIORATED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING POWER DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE THRUST. REALIZING THAT GLIDING TO AN AIRPORT WAS NOT FEASIBLE, THE PILOT DECIDED THAT LANDING ON A HIGHWAY WAS THE SAFEST OPTION. THE PILOT SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE HIGHWAY BUT CLIPPED A ROAD SIGN WITH THE LEFT WINGTIP, CAUSING THE PLANE TO VEER OFF INTO THE CENTER EMBANKMENT. THIS RESULTED IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, AND FIRE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.