20130316009019A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna R182 · Baytown, TX · March 16, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: March 16, 2013 · 21:59 local
Place: Baytown, TX
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6398S
Reported as: Cessna R182
Reported engine: Continental 0-200-A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 250 total210 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N6398SRegistered now · Cessna R182S/N R18201670 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.

Pilot reported that full throttle was used with no attempt to lean the mixture. Fuel burn of approximately 7.4 gallons per hour for a 3.3 hour flight resulted with engine (as reported) going silent and stopping producing power.

With a useable fuel of 22.5 gallons and a fuel capacity of 26 gallons and an increased headwind as stated by the pilot, she considered an enroute stop. Her decision to continue with the high fuel consumption resulted in the reported sudden stoppage of the engine.

Upon descent and during attempt to land the pilot reported engine failure and loss of thrust. Reported attempt restart was unsuccessful. Initial impact of the left wing with a tree and subsequent right impact with a tree resulted in vertical descent. The tail then absorbed the impact. Forward moment of impact was minimal which attributed this accident as survivable. However the use of shoulder harness directly contributed to saving the life of the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED THAT FULL THROTTLE WAS USED WITH NO ATTEMPT TO LEAN THE MIXTURE. FUEL BURN OF APPROXIMATELY 7.4 GALLONS PER HOUR FOR A 3.3 HOUR FLIGHT RESULTED WITH ENGINE (AS REPORTED) GOING SILENT AND STOPPING PRODUCING POWER.

WITH A USEABLE FUEL OF 22.5 GALLONS AND A FUEL CAPACITY OF 26 GALLONS AND AN INCREASED HEADWIND AS STATED BY THE PILOT, SHE CONSIDERED AN ENROUTE STOP. HER DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH THE HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION RESULTED IN THE REPORTED SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE.

UPON DESCENT AND DURING ATTEMPT TO LAND THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE AND LOSS OF THRUST. REPORTED ATTEMPT RESTART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. INITIAL IMPACT OF THE LEFT WING WITH A TREE AND SUBSEQUENT RIGHT IMPACT WITH A TREE RESULTED IN VERTICAL DESCENT. THE TAIL THEN ABSORBED THE IMPACT. FORWARD MOMENT OF IMPACT WAS MINIMAL WHICH ATTRIBUTED THIS ACCIDENT AS SURVIVABLE. HOWEVER THE USE OF SHOULDER HARNESS DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO SAVING THE LIFE OF THE PILOT.