# Accident 20020125001619A: Cessna 182L, Bocaraton, FL, January 25, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 25, 2002, 13:15 local time - Place: Bocaraton, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.3708° N, 80.1026° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Boca Raton, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.3708&lon=-80.1026&mi=10 - Aircraft: N182JM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N182JM-2013-06-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 182L (registry code 2072726, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182l) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182L - Reported engine: CONT O470R - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA02LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA053) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020125001619A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JANUARY 25, 2002, ABOUT 1315 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182L, N182JM, REGISTERED TO AEROLEASE OF AMERICA, INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING IN THE VICINITY OF BOCA RATON, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE COMMERCIALLY-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED POMPANO BEACH AIRPARK ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ON HIS RETURN TRIP TO HIS HOME BASE OF WELLINGTON AERO CLUB AIRPORT NEAR WEST PALM BEACH, HIS ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. HIS BEST OPTION APPEARED TO BE A FORCED LANDING ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A ROAD SIGN DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT OBSERVE WING TANK FUEL LEVEL BEFORE DEPARTURE. (-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 1310 THE OWNER/OPERATOR DEPARTED POMPANO FOR HIS HOME IN WELLINGTON. AFTER REACHING APPROXIMATELY 2000 FT., THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A DIMINISHING OF POWER AND AN ENGINE SPUTTER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE NORTH BOUND LANE OF THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL DUE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR BEING DAMAGED DUE TO THE WING IMPACTING A SIGN ON THE ROAD SIDE. INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE REVEALED THE LEFT WING HAD ZERO FUEL AND THE RIGHT WING CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY TWO (2) GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT ADMITTED HE DID NOT CHECK HIS FUEL LOAD OR GAUGES PRIOR TO DEPARTING. (.4) ON JANUARY 25, 2002, ABOUT 1315 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182L, N182JM, REGISTERED TO AEROLEASE OF AMERICA, INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING IN THE VICINITY OF BOCA RATON, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE COMMERCIALLY-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED POMPANO BEACH AIRPARK ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ON HIS RETURN TRIP TO HIS HOME BASE OF WELLINGTON AERO CLUB AIRPORT NEAR WEST PALM BEACH, HIS ENGINE SURGED AND LOST POWER. HE CHOSE AN UNINHABITED NORTH-BOUND LANE OF THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE FOR A FORC ED LANDING. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A ROAD SIGN DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT OBSERVE WING TANK FUEL LEVEL BEFORE DEPARTURE. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 50 GALLONS MUST HAVE BEEN SIPHONED FROM HIS TANKS WHILE PARKED AT HIS HOME BASE. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE SIGN COLLISION DAMAGED THE WING LEADING EDGE ABOUT 2 TO 3 FEET INBOARD OF THE WING TIP. THE COLLISION CAUSED DEFORMATION OF THE LEFT WING SPAR, A WING RIB, AND THE FALSE FRONT SPAR. NEITHER WING FUEL TANK WAS BREACHED AND ABOUT 1.5 TO 2.5 GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE LL WAS THE TOTAL FUEL FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME THE SALVAGER REMOVED THE WINGS FOR TRANSPORT TO A LOCKED AND SECURED SALVAGE AND STORAGE FACILITY AT FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. ON FEBRUARY 7, 2002, AT THE STORAGE FACILITY WHERE N182JM WAS TRANSPORTED TO AND STORED, THE NTSB OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE START FROM ITS OWN BATTERY SOURCE. ALSO OBSERVED WAS THE FUEL REMOVED FROM N182JM, POSTCRASH, AND THE AMOUNT MEASURED OUT TO BE 2.5 GALLONS. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED AT ABOUT 2,000 RPM FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. ENGINE OPERATION WAS SMOOTH AND RESPONSIVE TO COCKPIT CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA 182L TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEETS, THE UNUSABLE FUEL IS 30 POUNDS OR ABOUT 5.1 GALLONS. ## 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 MIA02LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA053), Jan 25, 2002: Cessna 182L (N182JM), Boca Raton, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to perform a proper preflight inspection and refueling of the aircraft, resulting in an in-flight loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a collision with a road sign… ## Other reports on N182JM (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19961230042539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961230042539I), Dec 30, 1996: Cessna 182L (N182JM), St Cloud, FL, Minor damage. 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… - [Incident 19851029012559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851029012559I), Oct 29, 1985: Cessna 182L (N182JM), West Palm Beach, FL. Incident investigated and closed out with a warning letter. 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.