What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 28, 2002, about 1026 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182, N6412A, lost engine power in flight and collided with a tree during a forced landing at lucerne valley, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The certified flight instructor and front passenger, who was also a pilot, received no injuries. The rear-seated passenger sustained a minor injury. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed the boulder city municipal airport about 0915, en route to apple valley. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the pilot did not file a flight plan. In a telephone conversation with the safety board investigator, the pilot described the power loss as intermittent. The engine began to sputter during a cruise descent and the pilot initiated the engine-out procedure. According to the pilot, the engine seemed to correct itself, but lost power again shortly thereafter. He performed the engine-out procedure again. This time his commercial pilot passenger assisted him by going through the airplane's checklist. The airplane had been descending through approximately 6,500 feet and he could not restart the engine. The pilot could not locate the fuel gauges until the airplane was on the ground, where they indicated empty. He did report having looked in the tanks before takeoff, and then again following the forced landing. The airplane was in a nose down attitude when he checked, noting about 2.5 inches of fuel remaining in the tanks. (-23) aircraft N6412A, a Cessna 182, departed boulder city municipal airport, Nevada. According to the pilot, while in cruise/descent to apply valley airport, California, the aircraft engine began to sputter. The engine corrected itself and then lost power again. The pilot could not restart the engine and had to execute a forced landing. The aircraft contacted numerous objects upon landing. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. No reported injuries to the pilot or passengers.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2002, ABOUT 1026 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182, N6412A, LOST ENGINE POWER IN FLIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING A FORCED LANDING AT LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND FRONT PASSENGER, WHO WAS ALSO A PILOT, RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE REAR-SEATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED A MINOR INJURY. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED THE BOULDER CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ABOUT 0915, EN ROUTE TO APPLE VALLEY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR, THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE POWER LOSS AS INTERMITTENT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER DURING A CRUISE DESCENT AND THE PILOT INITIATED THE ENGINE-OUT PROCEDURE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO CORRECT ITSELF, BUT LOST POWER AGAIN SHORTLY THEREAFTER. HE PERFORMED THE ENGINE-OUT PROCEDURE AGAIN. THIS TIME HIS COMMERCIAL PILOT PASSENGER ASSISTED HIM BY GOING THROUGH THE AIRPLANE'S CHECKLIST. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DESCENDING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 6,500 FEET AND HE COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PILOT COULD NOT LOCATE THE FUEL GAUGES UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GROUND, WHERE THEY INDICATED EMPTY. HE DID REPORT HAVING LOOKED IN THE TANKS BEFORE TAKEOFF, AND THEN AGAIN FOLLOWING THE FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN HE CHECKED, NOTING ABOUT 2.5 INCHES OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. (-23) AIRCRAFT N6412A, A CESSNA 182, DEPARTED BOULDER CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEVADA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE IN CRUISE/DESCENT TO APPLY VALLEY AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE ENGINE CORRECTED ITSELF AND THEN LOST POWER AGAIN. THE PILOT COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINE AND HAD TO EXECUTE A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED NUMEROUS OBJECTS UPON LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO REPORTED INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.