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20140930020479I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 182H · Heber Springs, AR · September 30, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 30, 2014 · 18:00 local
Place
Heber Springs, AR
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1974X
Reported as
Cessna 182H
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
21,600 total630 in this make and model141 in the last 90 days
N1974XRegistration cancelled Feb 27, 2018 · Cessna 182HS/N 18256074 · Built 1965Airframe modelCessna 182HEngine 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.

On September 30, 2014, at approximately 2000 local, a Cessna 182H, serial number 18256074, registration number N1974X was descending to Heber Springs municipal airport (hbz), Heber Springs, AR, when the airline transportation rated pilot reported he could not get the hbz runway lights to come on. After several attempts, he decided to divert to clinton municipal airport (cca), clinton, AR, and climbed to 3000'. Shortly after achieving 3000', the engine began to run rough and no change in the fuel selection valve remedied the situation. The engine began to cut out and the pilot circled the aircraft over fairfield bay looking for a place to land. He determined ditching the aircraft into greers ferry lake was the best option, so he brought the aircraft down onto the water about 1500' from shore. The aircraft floated long enough for the pilot to egress and determine the aircraft suffered minimal impact damage before he swam to shore. The pilot was the only person onboard and received no injuries. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight originated at fye in somerville, TN, and was conducted under visual meteorological conditions.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 LOCAL, A CESSNA 182H, SERIAL NUMBER 18256074, REGISTRATION NUMBER N1974X WAS DESCENDING TO HEBER SPRINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (HBZ), HEBER SPRINGS, AR, WHEN THE AIRLINE TRANSPORTATION RATED PILOT REPORTED HE COULD NOT GET THE HBZ RUNWAY LIGHTS TO COME ON. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO CLINTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CCA), CLINTON, AR, AND CLIMBED TO 3000'. SHORTLY AFTER ACHIEVING 3000', THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND NO CHANGE IN THE FUEL SELECTION VALVE REMEDIED THE SITUATION. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO CUT OUT AND THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AIRCRAFT OVER FAIRFIELD BAY LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. HE DETERMINED DITCHING THE AIRCRAFT INTO GREERS FERRY LAKE WAS THE BEST OPTION, SO HE BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN ONTO THE WATER ABOUT 1500' FROM SHORE. THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED LONG ENOUGH FOR THE PILOT TO EGRESS AND DETERMINE THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINIMAL IMPACT DAMAGE BEFORE HE SWAM TO SHORE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD AND RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT FYE IN SOMERVILLE, TN, AND WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.