20080820848939A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 182N · Caldwell, TX · August 20, 2008

Date: August 20, 2008 · 17:50 local
Place: Caldwell, TX
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N92780
NTSB investigation: NTSBDFW08LA210
Reported as: Cessna 182N
Reported engine: Continental O470*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 478 total121 in this make and model44 in the last 90 days

N92780Registration cancelled Dec 22, 2014 · Cessna 182NS/N 18260352 · Built 1970 Airframe modelCessna 182N Engine modelContinental O-470 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 was en route from sugarland regional (sgr) airport to waco regional (act) airport on a VFR flight plan when it began to have intermittent engine power loss. The pilot diverted toward the Caldwell municipal (rwv) airport to land. The aircraft then experienced complete engine failure. The aircraft hit a sports field lighting pole on the east side of the Caldwell municipal baseball field where it crashed. An examination of the aircraft at the scene discovered the right hand wing fuel tank cap lying on the ground a few yards away from the semi-detached wing. The left hand wing was also partially detached with the fuel tank cap in place. Both wing tanks were found with no residual fuel. Blue fuel streaks were found along the right hand side of the fuselage and on the right hand horizontal stabilizer. The fuel selector was in the "both" position, and an examination of the fuel line to the engine flow divider revealed no residual fuel existing in the fuel line.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE FROM SUGARLAND REGIONAL (SGR) AIRPORT TO WACO REGIONAL (ACT) AIRPORT ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WHEN IT BEGAN TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ENGINE POWER LOSS. THE PILOT DIVERTED TOWARD THE CALDWELL MUNICIPAL (RWV) AIRPORT TO LAND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A SPORTS FIELD LIGHTING POLE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CALDWELL MUNICIPAL BASEBALL FIELD WHERE IT CRASHED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SCENE DISCOVERED THE RIGHT HAND WING FUEL TANK CAP LYING ON THE GROUND A FEW YARDS AWAY FROM THE SEMI-DETACHED WING. THE LEFT HAND WING WAS ALSO PARTIALLY DETACHED WITH THE FUEL TANK CAP IN PLACE. BOTH WING TANKS WERE FOUND WITH NO RESIDUAL FUEL. BLUE FUEL STREAKS WERE FOUND ALONG THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND ON THE RIGHT HAND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE "BOTH" POSITION, AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL LINE TO THE ENGINE FLOW DIVIDER REVEALED NO RESIDUAL FUEL EXISTING IN THE FUEL LINE.

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 DFW08LA210Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCaldwell, TXA loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to secure the right wing's fuel cap, leading to fuel being siphoned from the tank during flight.Aug 20, 2008 · Substantial damage