What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power. Crash landed in desert. (.19)on July 28, 1998, at 1515 hours pacific daylight itme, a Cessna 182, N6493A, experienced a loss of engine power during cruise and made a forced landing in the desert near the California City, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorlogical condtions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The origin and destination of the flight are unknown. (.4) the pilot stated that he had refueled the airplane with approximately 3.5 inches of fuel, which equates to 15.5 gallons. According to the POH at 6,500 feet the fuel burn is approximately 13.9 gallons an hour. The pilot flew the airplane for 1.5 hours before the accident. The engine began to run roughly after dropping skydivers and returning to base. He completed the emergency checklist without an engine restart and declared an emergency. The aircraft landed in soft desert terrain and collapsed the nose gear. The airplane fuel system and engine were inspected. It was noted that there was a minor leak from the top of the fuel selector unit; however, no further anomalies were noted. A discrepancy sheet noted that the magnetos were not grounded, the exhaust gas temperature and cylinder head temperature gages were inoperative, and fuel needed to be in both tanks with the fuel selector in the both position.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER. CRASH LANDED IN DESERT. (.19)ON JULY 28, 1998, AT 1515 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT ITME, A CESSNA 182, N6493A, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE DESERT NEAR THE CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDTIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ORIGIN AND DESTINATION OF THE FLIGHT ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REFUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH APPROXIMATELY 3.5 INCHES OF FUEL, WHICH EQUATES TO 15.5 GALLONS. ACCORDING TO THE POH AT 6,500 FEET THE FUEL BURN IS APPROXIMATELY 13.9 GALLONS AN HOUR. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR 1.5 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY AFTER DROPPING SKYDIVERS AND RETURNING TO BASE. HE COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WITHOUT AN ENGINE RESTART AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN SOFT DESERT TERRAIN AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE WERE INSPECTED. IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS A MINOR LEAK FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL SELECTOR UNIT; HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. A DISCREPANCY SHEET NOTED THAT THE MAGNETOS WERE NOT GROUNDED, THE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE GAGES WERE INOPERATIVE, AND FUEL NEEDED TO BE IN BOTH TANKS WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE BOTH POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6493A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.