Incident Overview
A pilot reported that while approaching his destination, air traffic control cleared him to descend to 3,000 feet and advised him of construction equipment at the airport. The pilot had the airport in sight and closed his instrument flight plan. Shortly thereafter, the right engine began to sputter and lose power. Seeing a nearby highway with no obstructions and some construction equipment, the pilot decided to land on the highway.
Landing and Contact
The section of highway used for the landing was located 3 miles northwest of the airport and was closed due to road construction. During the landing roll, the right wing tip tank contacted a construction road grader, resulting in substantial damage to the tip tank, wing ribs, and aileron. The aircraft came to rest on the highway.
Post-Inspection
Inspection of the airplane failed to reveal any mechanical failure or malfunction of the airplane or engine. The pilot reported that the engine sputter and loss of power occurred without any identifiable mechanical cause.
Additional details from the investigation are not available in the source.