What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on December 30, 1996, at approximately 10:40 a.m., N182JM, serial number 18259187, a Cessna 182-L, piloted and owned by Mr. Robert jay mermelstein (certificate number 2138321) radioed orlando approach control that he was losing power in the engine and was looking for a place to land. Mr. Mermelstein landed N182JM on lake cypress fish camp access road (dirt road) struck a telephone pole with his right wing tip, the aircraft pivoted into a ditch. Only minor damage to the right wing tip resulted. Mr. Mermelstein was the only occupant of the aircraft and was uninjured. A check of the fuel level indicated the right wing tank was virtually dry. Mr. Mermelstein stated his fuel quantity indicators had never worked. He said they had never worked and that they had owned five aircraft and none of them had working fuel quantity indicators. He went on to state that he flew by time and always topped off the fuel tanks before flight. The investigation revealed that the aircraft fuel servicing points were not placarded. The aircraft fuel tank selector fuel valve lever was on left tank only. Mr. Mermelstein was surprised by the position of the fuel tank selector valve lever, he said he always flew with the lever in the both tanks position. Raymond ellis stover, ii, A&P #264617860, from kissimmee aviation was on the scene and confirmed the position of the fuel tank selector valve lever left tank was selected. The aircraft was repositioned safely on the road, the selector was set to right tank position, engine was started, and went to full power run-up with no problems.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON DECEMBER 30, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:40 A.M., N182JM, SERIAL NUMBER 18259187, A CESSNA 182-L, PILOTED AND OWNED BY MR. ROBERT JAY MERMELSTEIN (CERTIFICATE NUMBER 2138321) RADIOED ORLANDO APPROACH CONTROL THAT HE WAS LOSING POWER IN THE ENGINE AND WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. MR. MERMELSTEIN LANDED N182JM ON LAKE CYPRESS FISH CAMP ACCESS ROAD (DIRT ROAD) STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE WITH HIS RIGHT WING TIP, THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED INTO A DITCH. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP RESULTED. MR. MERMELSTEIN WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNINJURED. A CHECK OF THE FUEL LEVEL INDICATED THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS VIRTUALLY DRY. MR. MERMELSTEIN STATED HIS FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS HAD NEVER WORKED. HE SAID THEY HAD NEVER WORKED AND THAT THEY HAD OWNED FIVE AIRCRAFT AND NONE OF THEM HAD WORKING FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS. HE WENT ON TO STATE THAT HE FLEW BY TIME AND ALWAYS TOPPED OFF THE FUEL TANKS BEFORE FLIGHT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SERVICING POINTS WERE NOT PLACARDED. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANK SELECTOR FUEL VALVE LEVER WAS ON LEFT TANK ONLY. MR. MERMELSTEIN WAS SURPRISED BY THE POSITION OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE LEVER, HE SAID HE ALWAYS FLEW WITH THE LEVER IN THE BOTH TANKS POSITION. RAYMOND ELLIS STOVER, II, A&P #264617860, FROM KISSIMMEE AVIATION WAS ON THE SCENE AND CONFIRMED THE POSITION OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE LEVER LEFT TANK WAS SELECTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPOSITIONED SAFELY ON THE ROAD, THE SELECTOR WAS SET TO RIGHT TANK POSITION, ENGINE WAS STARTED, AND WENT TO FULL POWER RUN-UP WITH NO PROBLEMS.
Other reports on N182JM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.