# Accident 20010107000099A: Cessna 182A, Parkton, NC, January 7, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 7, 2001, 13:40 local time - Place: Parkton, NC - Airport: Southern Comforts Aerodrome - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.9008° N, 79.0103° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9008&lon=-79.0103&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5883B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5883B-2013-04-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 182A (registry code 2072704, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182A - Reported engine: CONT O470L - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 188 total, 5 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA059) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010107000099A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) PILOT WAS DESCENDING AFTER RELEASING JUMPERS, WHEN HE TRIED TO LEVEL OFF HE FOUND THAT HE HAD NO THROTTLE. PILOT LOOKED FOR A FIELD AND LANDED, WHEN HE DID THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN IT DUG IN AND THE A/C FLIPPED OVER.(.4) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH FUEL TANK AND OFFLOADED SKYDIVERS AT 10,500 FEET, THEN DESCENDED TO RETURN WITH THE THROTTLE AT IDLE, THE FUEL/AIR RATIO LEANED; AND CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED. AT 2,000 FEET, THE PILOT BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF AND, "REALIZED I WAS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLE AND BEGAN MY EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR AN ENGINE FAILURE AT ALTITUDE...." HE CHECKED THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WHICH WAS IN THE SAME POSITION IT WAS SELECTED FOR TAKEOFF, "BOTH ON." HE POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT, RIGHT, AND BOTH POSITIONS WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS, AND ALSO CHECKED "MY IGNITION AND CHECK ALL FUSES." HE WAS UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. BEFORE TOUCHDOWN HE TURNED OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE; AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE FUEL STRAINER WAS EMPTY WHEN EXAMINED BY A MECHANIC APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THE FLEXIBLE HOSE FROM THE FUEL STRAINER TO THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL (CAPFUL). NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE FUEL STRAINER, IGNITION, OR VENT SYSTEMS NOTED. FOLLOWING RELEASE BY THE FAA FOR RECOVERY, THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND NO FUEL SPRAY NOTED FROM THE ACCELERATOR PUMP DISCHARGE NOZZLE WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ACTIVATED. THE FUEL FLOW RATE THROUGH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS LESS WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK THAN WITH THE VALVE POSITIONED TO THE LEFT OR BOTH POSITIONS. DISASSEMBLY OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF DEBRIS OR WEAR; NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE LOW FUEL FLOW RATE WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONED TO THE "RIGHT" POSITION. HISTORICAL UNEVEN FUEL CONSUMPTION GREATER FROM THE LEFT TANK WAS NOTED WHILE OPERATING THE AIRPLANE IN SKYDIVING OPERATIONS THAT INVOLVE MAINLY CLIMBS AND DESCENTS. AFTER REPAIRS, THE ENGINE WAS PLACED ON THE AIRFRAME AND OPERATED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. POST ACCIDENT TESTING WITH AN EXEMPLAR CARBURETOR, THE ACCIDENT FUEL STRAINER AND FLEXIBLE HOSE FROM THE FUEL STRAINER TO THE CARBURETOR WITH THE ASSEMBLY PLACED INVERTED REVEALED THE CARBURETOR LEAKS FLUID TO A CERTAIN LEVEL BUT FLUID REMAINS IN THE BOWL. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE ASSEMBLY INVERTED AND THE CARBURETOR BOWL EMPTY BUT FLUID IN THE FUEL STRAINER AND FLEXIBLE LINE, FLUID DOES NOT FLOW INTO THE CARBURETOR BOWL. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS REPAIRED LAST ON MARCH 18, 1977, IN WHICH AN O-RING ON THE FUEL SELECTOR SHAFT WAS REPLACED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA01LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA059), Jan 7, 2001: Cessna 182A (N5883B), Parkton, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power during a normal descent due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons. ## Other reports on N5883B (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19971109032669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971109032669A), Nov 9, 1997: Cessna 182A (N5883B), Parkton, NC, Substantial damage. Aborted takeoff. Ground looped. Smoke in cokpit. Gear failed wing hit ground. Battery cable shorted at firewall. (-23) the aircraft began takeoff at 1350 from… - [Incident 19920920044069I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920920044069I), Sep 20, 1992: Cessna 182A (N5883B), Farmville, NC, 1 fatal. Chutist died as a result of strangulation during static line jump. Line opened chute but had bag lock malfunction. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.