20040923023359A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna R182 · Milton, FL · September 23, 2004

Date: September 23, 2004 · 10:10 local
Place: Milton, FL
Airport: Milton T Field Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5157T
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA04FA128
Reported as: Cessna R182
Reported engine: Lycoming O540*
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 4
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,019 total2 in this make and model107 in the last 90 days

N5157TRegistration cancelled Jan 11, 2005 · Cessna R182S/N R18201826 · Built 1981 Airframe modelCessna R182 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The aircraft engine had previous problems with fouling the spark plugs. The day prior to the accident, the spark plugs were removed and cleaned due to a rough running engine. On the day of the accident, the pilot was observed by several qualified witnesses to have trouble starting the engine. After engine start the engine was heard by the same witnesses, running rough. They also heard the run up with the engine sputtering and backfiring. The aircraft was observed on takeoff using an extraordinary amount of runway and the engine was not producing full power, according to the same witnesses. The aircraft was then observed to make a left turn, stall and spin. The resulting impact resulted in a fire that consumed the aircraft and four fatalities.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH FOULING THE SPARK PLUGS. THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND CLEANED DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL QUALIFIED WITNESSES TO HAVE TROUBLE STARTING THE ENGINE. AFTER ENGINE START THE ENGINE WAS HEARD BY THE SAME WITNESSES, RUNNING ROUGH. THEY ALSO HEARD THE RUN UP WITH THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND BACKFIRING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON TAKEOFF USING AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF RUNWAY AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER, ACCORDING TO THE SAME WITNESSES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, STALL AND SPIN. THE RESULTING IMPACT RESULTED IN A FIRE THAT CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUR FATALITIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA04FA128Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportMilton, FLThe pilots operation of the airplane with known deficiencies in the equipment based on witness statements describing an excessive rpm drop and rough running engine after starting, during the engine run-up, and after becoming airborne, his failure to abort the…Sep 23, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N5157T · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19930906047679IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Fort Pierce, FLUnsafe nose gear indication. Made fly-by. Nose gear collapsed on rollout.Sep 6, 1993 · Minor damage Accident 19901209053329AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Orlando, FLLost electronics. Lost control on landing with manual gear not locked. Had failed turn on generator switch.Dec 9, 1990 · Substantial damage Incident 19880123023559IGo Round (Aborted VFR) · Southern Pine, NCBegan go around but retracted gear too early, aircraft settled with gear up. Belly grazed runway. Landed safely.Jan 23, 1988 · Minor damage