What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
May 18, 2013
N9075T, a Cessna 182C landed in a field near the Fremont Michigan airport, approximately 1400 local time. Pilot, was the sole occupant of the aircraft. Pilot had minor injuries consisting of scratches to his neck and arm. I talked with the pilot, I asked him to take me thru his flight activities. He stated that he had been on a prior flight, and was preparing to take up another load of parachute jumpers. He stated to me that he dipped the tanks and that he had 15 gallons of fuel on board the aircraft. I inquired with him why he dipped the tanks, he responded so that he knew how much fuel was onboard the aircraft. I asked him if the fuel quantity gauges worked. He said you know Cessna gauges they are not reliable, I again asked him if the gauges worked he said yes. He then went on to say that he took off climbed up to 10500 where the jumpers left the aircraft. I asked him what the average amount of time is from take- off to landing for a jump flight, he responded about 25 minutes. He continued on that he was on left downwind for landing on runway 09, he said that he noticed that he was losing power. privacy data omitted Stated that he went to turn to 09, and noticed that a helicopter was on final for 09 at his 11 o?clock. I asked privacy data omitted, did you declare an emergency, he stated that he did not.
May 20, 2013
I traveled to Fremont Michigan arriving approximately 0900 local time. I documented the scene with photographs, taking pictures of the external, and inside the aircraft noting the position of controls and switches. Documented damage to aircraft where it came to rest, the damage consisted of the following:
? Engine cowling damaged
? Exposed propeller blade did not exhibit any curl
? Nose gear strut mounting to firewall sheared off
?Nose gear steering rods broken from collar
? Fuselage skin at firewall back approximately one foot torn
? Left wing outboard end approximately two feet in from the tip damaged
? Left wing skin on bottom exhibits stress wrinkles
? Left wing skin at root bulged up, rear spar mount broken
? Fuselage lap joint aft of baggage compartment rivets popped
? Fuselage skin exhibit stress wrinkles in various places
? Rudder tip fairing damaged
? Right wing skin on bottom exhibits stress wrinkles
At approximately 1300 hours, documented the process of flipping the aircraft back over on to its main wheels. Area around prop was dug up and the prop was moved to a horizontal position, prop blade that was in the ground did not exhibit any curl. After flipping the aircraft over the aircraft nose was placed on a trailer, the aircraft was in a leveled condition, drained fuel from the wing tanks, approximately 2.5 gallons removed from right wing, 1.0 gallon from the left wing, and approximately a pint from the strainer. Removed engine cowling, three out of four engine mount legs broken, spark plug leads removed, pulled prop thru, counted six identifiable compression strokes, noted that impulse coupling was engaging and releasing with ignition spark from lead. Checked continuity of engine controls, all controls intact and work as designed.
As the FAA filed it
MAY 18, 2013
N9075T, A CESSNA 182C LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR THE FREMONT MICHIGAN AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TIME. PILOT, WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT HAD MINOR INJURIES CONSISTING OF SCRATCHES TO HIS NECK AND ARM. I TALKED WITH THE PILOT, I ASKED HIM TO TAKE ME THRU HIS FLIGHT ACTIVITIES. HE STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN ON A PRIOR FLIGHT, AND WAS PREPARING TO TAKE UP ANOTHER LOAD OF PARACHUTE JUMPERS. HE STATED TO ME THAT HE DIPPED THE TANKS AND THAT HE HAD 15 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. I INQUIRED WITH HIM WHY HE DIPPED THE TANKS, HE RESPONDED SO THAT HE KNEW HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT. I ASKED HIM IF THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WORKED. HE SAID YOU KNOW CESSNA GAUGES THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE, I AGAIN ASKED HIM IF THE GAUGES WORKED HE SAID YES. HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE TOOK OFF CLIMBED UP TO 10500 WHERE THE JUMPERS LEFT THE AIRCRAFT. I ASKED HIM WHAT THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME IS FROM TAKE- OFF TO LANDING FOR A JUMP FLIGHT, HE RESPONDED ABOUT 25 MINUTES. HE CONTINUED ON THAT HE WAS ON LEFT DOWNWIND FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 09, HE SAID THAT HE NOTICED THAT HE WAS LOSING POWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WENT TO TURN TO 09, AND NOTICED THAT A HELICOPTER WAS ON FINAL FOR 09 AT HIS 11 O?CLOCK. I ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DID YOU DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT.
MAY 20, 2013
I TRAVELED TO FREMONT MICHIGAN ARRIVING APPROXIMATELY 0900 LOCAL TIME. I DOCUMENTED THE SCENE WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, TAKING PICTURES OF THE EXTERNAL, AND INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT NOTING THE POSITION OF CONTROLS AND SWITCHES. DOCUMENTED DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT WHERE IT CAME TO REST, THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING:
? ENGINE COWLING DAMAGED
? EXPOSED PROPELLER BLADE DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY CURL
? NOSE GEAR STRUT MOUNTING TO FIREWALL SHEARED OFF
?NOSE GEAR STEERING RODS BROKEN FROM COLLAR
? FUSELAGE SKIN AT FIREWALL BACK APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT TORN
? LEFT WING OUTBOARD END APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET IN FROM THE TIP DAMAGED
? LEFT WING SKIN ON BOTTOM EXHIBITS STRESS WRINKLES
? LEFT WING SKIN AT ROOT BULGED UP, REAR SPAR MOUNT BROKEN
? FUSELAGE LAP JOINT AFT OF BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT RIVETS POPPED
? FUSELAGE SKIN EXHIBIT STRESS WRINKLES IN VARIOUS PLACES
? RUDDER TIP FAIRING DAMAGED
? RIGHT WING SKIN ON BOTTOM EXHIBITS STRESS WRINKLES
AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS, DOCUMENTED THE PROCESS OF FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT BACK OVER ON TO ITS MAIN WHEELS. AREA AROUND PROP WAS DUG UP AND THE PROP WAS MOVED TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION, PROP BLADE THAT WAS IN THE GROUND DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY CURL. AFTER FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS PLACED ON A TRAILER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEVELED CONDITION, DRAINED FUEL FROM THE WING TANKS, APPROXIMATELY 2.5 GALLONS REMOVED FROM RIGHT WING, 1.0 GALLON FROM THE LEFT WING, AND APPROXIMATELY A PINT FROM THE STRAINER. REMOVED ENGINE COWLING, THREE OUT OF FOUR ENGINE MOUNT LEGS BROKEN, SPARK PLUG LEADS REMOVED, PULLED PROP THRU, COUNTED SIX IDENTIFIABLE COMPRESSION STROKES, NOTED THAT IMPULSE COUPLING WAS ENGAGING AND RELEASING WITH IGNITION SPARK FROM LEAD. CHECKED CONTINUITY OF ENGINE CONTROLS, ALL CONTROLS INTACT AND WORK AS DESIGNED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.