Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 11; Flight Crew Total 273; Flight Crew Type 200
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft
I decided to go flying in my Cessna 150 to practice some landings. The air was calm and temperature was a little warm but not yet hot. The preflight and run up were normal. I took off; flew the pattern and had a good landing. I powered up for my next lap. The airspeed was alive and close to rotate speed when I noticed a nose wheel shimmy. I increased back pressure to take some weight off of the nose wheel. The plane rotated and took off; but the shimmy continued. I thought; this is a motor problem. I was still accelerating and climbing so rather than try to force the plane back on the runway and try to stop I continued to climb straight out. I wasn't climbing very well and at about 200 feet the climb stopped. There was no safe place to land straight out so I began a very shallow left turn; maybe 10 degrees bank. I radioed [local] traffic; told them I was having engine trouble and to clear all runways I was attempting to return. They acknowledged and said the runway is clear. My thought was; I'm above all obstacles; if I can maintain 200 feet and can make it. Of course; the plane started losing altitude during the turn. By the time I was lined up on the highway; which parallels the runway; I was at about 100 feet. I stopped the turn in the hopes of gaining some altitude. I wasn't gaining and the stall horn was chirping. I looked about 20 degrees to my left and there was the runway. But there was no safe place to land between me and the runway and it would have meant another 20 degree turn. As badly as I wanted to land on the airport; I knew this would be my fatal 'I can make it' error many pilots make.I radioed local traffic again and told them I would be landing on the highway. I now focused on the highway. This stretch of [road] is two lanes in both directions with a large grass center with a dividing barrier. I have often thought to myself; if I am ever forced to land on the highway to not line up on the white line. My right wing might hit a highway sign. Instead; I set up on the fast lane. My right wing would be in the slow lane and my left wing over the median where there are no signs. There were no cars in front of me but I couldn't see what was directly below me or behind me. I didn't want someone driving up underneath me so I nosed down for a little burst of speed.I leveled at about 20 feet hoping someone behind me wasn't texting while driving. I glanced over at the oncoming traffic and saw bulging eyes and open mouths. I made a flaps up landing on the narrowest runway I've ever landed on; the width of a single car lane. I came to a stop in the slow lane and shut down. Avionics off; master off; key off and removed.I climbed out of the aircraft and turned around to look at traffic. Right behind me was a fire truck. They were returning from putting out a small brush fire and saw the whole thing. I gave them a thumbs up and went to the back of the plane. Pushing down on the rear of the plane; I rotated it 90 degrees so the tail was off the highway with the wings parallel to the highway. I rolled it back to clear the traffic lanes then sat down on the tire to call my wife; also a pilot. Poor thing was at the airport and had watched the whole thing. I wanted to let her know I was down and safe.Looking back; had I not been wearing active noise reduction headsets I probably would have heard it was an engine problem and aborted the takeoff. Once off the ground I didn't panic. Fly the plane. I knew the location of all my nearby emergency landing areas at that end of the runway. As I was turning first up was some long straight shallow sewage ponds (not my first choice). Next is a grass field then the highway. I didn't get sucked into the 'I can make it' mindset. I trusted in the skills I had been taught; what the aircraft was giving me.
C150 pilot reported a loss of engine power that resulted in an off-field landing.