# Accident 20010715017849A: Cessna 182K, Warren, OH, July 15, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 15, 2001, 17:12 local time - Place: Warren, OH - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.2993° N, 80.9493° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2993&lon=-80.9493&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2815R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2815R) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 182K (registry code 2072724, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182k) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182K - Reported engine: CONT O470* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,700 total, 4,100 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC01LA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA176) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010715017849A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JULY 15, 2001, ABOUT 1830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182, N2815R, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR WARREN, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE NEWARK-HEATH AIRPORT (VTA), NEWARK, OHIO, DESTINED FOR MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE LANDED AT NEWARK, AND REQUESTED FUEL. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS SERVICED, THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE TO INCLUDE VISUALLY INSPECTING BOTH FUEL TANKS. BOTH TANKS WERE FILLED TO THE "CAPS". THE PILOT BOARDED THE AIRPLANE, STARTED THE ENGINE, AND TAXIED TO RUNWAY 27. THE PILOT CHECKED THE MAGNETOS AND THE CARBURETOR HEAT. BOTH WERE FOUND FULLY FUNCTIONAL. THE AIRPLANE THEN DEPARTED ABOUT 1110, TURNED TO THE SOUTH AND CLIMBED TO 1,000 FEET AGL. WITHIN 10 MINUTES, THE PILOT WAS IN THE TARGET AREA. HE SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO 60 KNOTS, AND SELECTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT TO "ON." THE PILOT THEN SPENT ABOUT 5 HOURS MANEUVERING AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. ABOUT 1600, THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE FOR "NORMAL" CRUISE AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS MEADVILLE. ABUT 1 HOUR LATER AND WHILE OPERATING APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AGL, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PROPELLER CONTINUED TO WINDMILL, BUT THE ENGINE NEVER SHOWED ANY SIGNS OF REGAINING POWER. THE PILOT IDENTIFIED A FIELD TO THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE, AND WHILE MANEUVERING FOR THE FIELD, HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM "LEFT" TO "BOTH" TO "LEFT", AND THEN BACK TO "BOTH," THE ENGINE DID NOT REGAIN POWER. HE DID NOT SELECT THE RIGHT TANK. THE PILOT INITIALLY SELECTED 40 DEGREES OF FLAPS, BUT RECONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE TO 20 DEGREES, BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO "SLIP" THE AIRPLANE TO MAKE THE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, AND THE PILOT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT FOUND THEM INEFFECTIVE ON THE LOOSE DIRT. UNABLE TO STOPTHE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO REACHING THE END OF THE FIELD, HE MANEUVERED IT SO THE NOSE WOULD GO BETWEEN TWO TREES. THE WINGS IMPACTED THE TREES, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT, AND APPROXIMATELY LEVEL. PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF POWER, THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 OF A TANK, AND THE RIGHT INDICATED EMPTY. ALSO PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF POWER, THE PILOT YAWED THE AIRPLANE TO VERIFY THERE WAS FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK. DURING THE MANEUVER, THE GAUGE FLUCTUATED FROM 1/4 TO 1/2. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HE HAS FLOWN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHTS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE THAT LASTED 6 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES, WITH 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES OF THAT BEING IN THE CRUISE CONFIGURATION. AFTERWARDS, THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE THE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE BOTH POSITION, BUT THE DETENT WAS "VERY WEAK." THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS INTACT, AND WHEN THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS REMOVED , NO FUEL VAPORS WERE IDENTIFIED. A STICK WAS THEN USED TO CHECK THE TANK; ONCE AGAIN NO FUEL WAS IDENTIFIED. THE INSPECTOR THEN ROCKED THE WING, AND LISTENED FOR THE SOUND OF FUEL SLOSHING, WHICH HE DID NOT HEAR. THE RIGHT TANK, WHICH WAS ALSO INTACT, HAD APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH OF FUEL INIT, AND WHEN THE INSPECTOR REMOVED THE CAP HE IMMEDIATELY SAW FUEL VAPORS ESCAPING FROM THE TANK. WHEN THE ELECTRICAL MASTER WAS SELECTED TO "ON", THE LEFT FUEL GUAGE INDICATED ABOUT 1/16. THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE INDICATED EMPTY. A ROTATIONAL FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE PROPELLER AND THE INSPECTOR DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE ENGINE. THE INSPECTOR ADDED THAT 2 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, A MECHANIC THAT WAS HIRED TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE FOR RECOVERING THE AIRPLANE WENT TO THE SCENE, AND PER THE INSPECTOR REQUEST, DRAINED THE FUEL FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE MECHANIC REPORTED TO THE INSPECTOR THAT HE DRAINED 9 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM EACH TANK. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED, AND THEN DEPARTED ON AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT. WITHIN 10 MINUTES, THE AIRPLANE HAD REACHED THE TARGET AREA. THE PILOT SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO 60 KNOTS, AND SELECTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT TO "ON," BUT DID NOT LEAN THE MIXTURE. THE PILOT THEN SPENT ABOUT 5 HOURS MANEUVERING AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE FOR "NORMAL" CRUISE AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS HIS PLANNED DESTINATION. ABOUT 1 HOUR LATER AND WHILE OPERATING APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AGL, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FIELD, THE PILOT MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM "LEFT" TO "BOTH" TO "LEFT," AND THEN BACK TO "BOTH," THE ENGINE DID NOT REGAIN POWER. HE DID NOT SELECT THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, IMPACTED SOME TREES, AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND LEVEL . EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS INTACT AND EMPTY. THE RIGHT WAS ALSO INTACT, AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH OF FUEL IN IT. THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 1/16 OF A TANK, AND THE RIGHT INDICATED EMPTY. ## 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 NYC01LA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA176), Jul 15, 2001: Cessna 182 (N2815R), Warren, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to adequately manage the available fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation. ## Other reports on N2815R (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19820818053469I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820818053469I), Aug 18, 1982: Cessna 182 (N2815R), Essex Jct, VT. Engine quit 3 miles out. Landed in a open field. Exhausted fuel due to fuel cell leak. 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.