LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE DUE TO A FAILED FITTING CAUSES HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMEBUILT TO LAND ON A ROAD. MODEST DAMAGE RESULTS.

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I HAD CALLED WX BRIEF 1 HR PRIOR TO TKOF AND HAD A BRIEFING THAT PROMISED LOW CEILINGS; 1800-2800 FT AGL; TO THE BORDER OF OHIO AND KENTUCKY WHERE I WAS PROMISED 4000 FT OR BETTER. THE OUTLOOK WAS TO BE CLR. THE WINDS WERE 330 DEGS AT 8 KTS WITH NO GUSTS. I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE GUSTS AS THEY WERE GUSTING TO 23 KTS ON ANOTHER DAY; THUS DELAYING OUR TRIP. I HAD BEEN IN THE HABIT OF TALKING TO DAYTON SINCE THEY ALWAYS SEEMED FRIENDLY AND DILIGENT. MY EXPERIENCE WITH CINCINNATI HAD BEEN JUST THE OPPOSITE. THEREFORE; WE DECIDED TO TUNE IN ROUGH RIVER TO LISTEN BUT NOT TO HAVE FLT FOLLOWING. WE STAYED AT ABOUT 2500 FT AND UNDER CINCINNATI'S AIRSPACE. ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE TRIP; I HEARD A POP; AND THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I HAD TO ASSUME THAT THE SMOKE WOULD ONLY GET THICKER (THOUGH IT DID NOT). THE EFIS WAS FLASHING ZERO OIL PRESSURE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED FOR A GOOD SPOT TO PUT IT DOWN. I KNEW FROM THE GPS THAT WE WERE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO AN ARPT. SO MUCH RACED THROUGH MY MIND THAT I AM NOT SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN IT AS ANYTHING BUT ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS. ALL OF THE HRS TRAINING FOR THIS CAME BACK WITH MULTIPLE INSTRUCTORS' VOICES IN MY HEAD REPEATING THE PROCS. I DO NOT THINK I CAN EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. IT REALLY WAS ROTE. I DID NOT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. AN AIRFIELD WAS OUT; THE FIELDS LOOKED SMALL AND HILLY; BUT THERE WAS A ROAD THAT WAS ABOUT TO TURN TO A STRAIGHT SECTION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. I PULLED OUT THE PWR AND LINED UP ON THE ROAD. I HAD ASKED MY HUSBAND TO TUNE IN 121.5 AS HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT HELP IN THE COCKPIT AT NAV AND TUNING THE RADIO AND XPONDER. HE SAID IN FRUSTRATION THAT HE COULD NOT GET IT TO CHANGE SO I STARTED TURNING THE KNOB. I HEARD 'FLY THE AIRPLANE' IN MY MIND AS I GAVE UP ON TUNING THE RADIO. I DID NOT EXACTLY ESTABLISH BEST GLIDE AS I NEEDED TO LOSE TOO MUCH ALT. I WAS IN A SLIGHT DIVE. I CAN HEAR MY HUSBAND'S VOICE GIVING ME ENCOURAGEMENT LIKE 'LOOKS GOOD HONEY' AND 'WAY TO GO.' THIS MAY SOUND STRANGE; BUT IT WAS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR SO THAT I KNEW HE WAS FINE AND I ONLY HAD TO WORRY ABOUT FLYING. AS WE GOT CLOSER; I SAW HOW CLOSE THE TREES WERE TO MY WINGTIPS AND HOW MANY POWER LINES THERE SEEMED TO BE. WE WERE FLYING RIGHT BEHIND A TRUCK AND COMING TO A SET OF PWR LINES. AT THIS POINT HE SAID 'REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE PWR IF YOU NEED IT.' THAT MAY SOUND OBVIOUS; BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT OR NOT. WE ALWAYS TRAIN AS IF THE PWR IS GONE. I HAD PUT IT IN MY HEAD THAT I NEEDED TO FLY AS IF I WOULD LOSE THE ENG AT ANY SECOND BUT I HAD NOT YET. I THOUGHT 'WELL YES; I WILL GO OVER THAT LINE AND UNDER THE NEXT!' I ADDED PWR AND SHE PURRED TO LIFE AND I FELT AS THOUGH I WERE THREADING A NEEDLE. MY FOOT SLIPPED ON THE RUDDER PEDAL AND I GLANCED DOWN TO SEE A RIVER OF SHINY BLACK OIL ON MY FLOOR. NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT. WE SAILED OVER THE TRUCK AND THERE WERE 2 CARS AHEAD THAT HAD GOTTEN OFF THE ROAD TO THE SIDE. WE TOUCHED DOWN AND STARTED THE ROLLOUT. I KNEW I WOULD HIT SOMETHING TO THE R IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE BUT I HAD TO KEEP MY WING OUT OF THOSE WINDSHIELDS TO THE L. I HEARD THE 'BANG' BUT JUST COULD NOT BEAR TO LOOK. I NEEDED TO KEEP MY EYES ON THE CARS. I KNOW IT WAS A POLE OF SOME SORT AND WAS JUST SURE MY WING WAS GONE. MORE TFC WAS COMING SO AFTER THE SHORT ROLLOUT AND HARD ON THE BRAKES; THERE APPEARED A CLRING AND A DRIVEWAY. IT SEEMED SO LOGICAL TO PULL IN AND OUT OF THE WAY. I STARTED SHUTDOWN PROCS AND PULLED THE FUEL SHUTOFF. WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE LATER THAT THE OIL LINE SEPARATED FROM ITS FITTING TO THE OIL COOLER. A REFLECTOR POLE TOOK A 10 INCH RADIUS SEMICIRCLE OUT OF THE WING; A SIMPLE FIX TO A COMPOSITE AIRFRAME.