The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1845 Mountain time, following a forced landing and impact with a tractor-trailer after a reported loss of engine power. The private pilot, his two passengers, and the tractor-trailer driver were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Shortly after takeoff, while troubleshooting a landing gear retraction problem, the pilot noticed airspeed was decreasing “like the engine wasnt producing full power.” The pilot elected to land on an Interstate highway. The airplane impacted a tractor-trailer with its left wing, coming to rest in an upright position. There was no post-crash fire.
