VANS RV-7 PLT HAS ENG MALFUNCTION AND EXECUTES AN OFF FIELD LNDG.

Narrative

ABOUT 20 MI OUT FROM LOCATION; THE ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER THEN LOST PWR. WE LOOKED AROUND AND ALL THERE WAS BELOW WERE MOUNTAINS. I DID A NRST ON MY GPS; THE NEAREST ARPT WAS A GRAVEL STRIP. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE BUT MOUNTAINS SO I HEADED TOWARDS THE GRAVEL STRIP. AFTER SETTING UP THE ACFT FOR BEST GLIDE AND EXECUTING ENG OUT PROCS; I TUNED MY RADIO TO 121.5 AND CALLED A MAYDAY WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP AND REPLIED TO BY AN ACR WHICH TOOK MY LOCATION; DETAILS AND RELAYED IT TO ATC. AS WE WERE COMING DOWN WE SPOTTED THE HIGHWAY WINDING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS; WE LOOKED BOTH WAYS AND LUCKILY THERE WERE VERY FEW CARS ON IT AND NONE ON A STRAIGHT PART BELOW US. I HEADED FOR THE STRAIGHT PART OF THE ROAD AND WE LANDED SAFELY. I GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND PULLED IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO IT WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY OF ANY VEHICLES. I CALLED BACK ON 121.5 AND TOLD THEM WE HAD LANDED SAFELY. AFTER REMOVING THE COWL; I CLEANED ALL OF THE FUEL LINES; CHKED THE IGNITION TIMING AND WENT OVER THE REST OF THE ENG. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAD LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE TYPE OF ENG I HAVE DROVE ALL THE WAY OUT AND WENT OVER THE ENG. WE STARTED THE ENG AFTER PERFORMING ALL OF THE CHKS AND RAN IT UP TO FULL PWR A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT RAN JUST FINE. THE LCL POLICE GOT THE OK FROM THE FAA TO TAKE OFF SO THEY STOPPED THE TFC ON THE ROAD AND I TOOK OFF AND FLEW OUT. AT THIS POINT WE ARE STILL UNSURE EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE ENG TO STOP. IT APPEARS TO BE A FAULT IN ONE OF THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYS OR PERHAPS SOME SORT OF BLOCKAGE IN THE FUEL LINES. BOTH IGNITIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND WILL BE RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR OVERHAUL. BOTH IGNITIONS WERE CHKED ON A RUN-UP BEFORE TAKING OFF AND THEY CHKED OUT FINE. THE FUEL SYS HAS ALSO BEEN DISASSEMBLED; CLEANED AND CHKED OVER AGAIN. THE FUEL TANKS WERE SUMPED BEFORE TKOF EARLIER.