What happened
After observing ice formation on the wing of the aircraft, the pilot elected to return to the departure airport. During the flight, the pilot became disoriented and was unable to locate the intended airport. Consequently, the decision was made to perform a precautionary landing on a road.
While flying on the downwind leg, the engine lost power. The aircraft touched down on the road at a speed of 120 mph, which resulted in the landing gear collapse. Following the touchdown, the airplane slid through a fence before coming to a complete halt. The pilot was not injured during the incident.
Findings
The investigation noted that the pilot did not hold an instrument rating and was operating with an expired medical certificate. Additionally, the pilot, who also serves as an aircraft mechanic, stated he could not determine why the power loss occurred, though he expressed a suspicion that the aircraft had been subject to tampering by unidentified individuals.